Chapter 13

Broken Chains, Broken Hearts

It felt like a dream. No, referring to it as a nightmare was more accurate. Aaron gazed at Ichigo Kurosaki's broken Chain of Fate like he were in a trance. His trembling eyes then peered upon his own. Would it suffer the same fate?

"W-What the hell?! I-I'm gonna die!" screeched Ichigo.

"You're so noisy, Mister Kurosaki!" said Urahara nonchalantly.

"W-Watch it! I'm gonna give you a reason to be noisy!" the teen shouted back.

Aaron could hardly fathom Urahara remaining so calm under the circumstances. There was a high probability Ichigo really was going to die, after all. Aaron had learned all about Chains of Fate from Kana. It bound the soul to one's living body and played a huge role in what happened to a person upon death.

"Don't you get it?!" Ichigo shouted. "I can't even get back into my body like this!"

In the same, casual tone, Urahara replied, "Of course I knew that."

"W-What?! You knew?! Y-You're pissing me off more and more!"

"Q-Quit screwing around, Urahara! What are you trying to do?!" questioned Aaron.

"Uh, I'm a bit out of the loop here!" proclaimed Izumi. Aaron wasn't surprised to hear this. His sister had spent most of the day snacking on various food stuffs instead of 'watching over' her younger brother like she claimed to. "A-Are you saying Kurosaki really could die with that chain thingy cut?"

Urahara, holding his signature, green fan up to his face, said, "There is only one outcome awaiting someone who has their Chain of Fate severed, Miss Higuchi."

Izumi found herself unable to say anything. Rather, she became as pale as a ghost.

"Oh! I nearly forgot!" Urahara snapped his fingers. "Tessai, can you please cut Mister Higuchi's Chain of Fate as well?"

The giant of the Urahara Store nodded and lifted his heavy axe above his head. Aaron, meanwhile, gasped and prepared to scurry away like a cornered mouse. Before he could however, Jinta and Ururu held him down.

"L-Lemme go! Lemme go!" their victim howled. "W-Why the hell are you two so strong anyway?! Aren't you just kids?!"

"Shut up and just watch!" yelled Jinta.

"There is no escape," said Ururu softly.

Aaron shrieked at the top of his voice as he was unable to do a thing about Tessai slicing his Chain of Fate right down the middle. The severed portion clattered against the earth, and Aaron observed it do so with newfound terror.

"Good!" said Urahara jovially. "Now that that's taken care of..."

"S-Stop it already!" said Izumi, her voice teeming with shock. "A-Are you trying to kill those two idiots or something?! W-Won't they turn into those Hollow monsters at this rate?!"

"Correct, Miss Higuchi! Look, their chains are already beginning to corrode!"

Aaron instantly took a look at his chain yet regretted the decision thereafter. Per Urahara's claim, his Chain of Fate was melting away.

"If the corrosion reaches all the way to the center of your chests, you will transform into Hollows," the shop owner informed his students. "That'll be the end of you."

Aaron couldn't breathe. He was to become a Hollow? It sounded so bizarre. He was accustomed to hunting them down, protecting the innocent from them. Now he was to join their ranks if he did nothing to stop his transformation? Panic replaced logic in his racing mind. What was he to do? What could he do?

"Y-You've gotta be kidding me!" said Izumi. Aaron wasn't the sole one pulling out his hairs. His sibling wasn't even hungry anymore. "M-My brother's gonna turn into some monster?! H-How the hell am I gonna explain that to Ma?!"

"Oh my! All of you need to calm down!" said Urahara. "There is a way for you two to prevent such a tragic fate from occurring. You just need to become Shinigami!"

"S-Shinigami?" echoed Aaron.

"H-How the hell do we do that?" asked Ichigo.

Urahara raised a finger and answered, "Lesson Two will be for you both to become Shinigami once more! When it is all said and done, the two of you will have power again. Well then, shall we start Lesson Two? It's the Shattered Shaft!"

Neither Aaron nor Ichigo liked the sound of that. They also weren't fond of the ground beneath them suddenly vanishing. Replacing it was a hole, a hole that led into complete and utter darkness. Gravity dragged them, and Tessai—he had been sitting on top of Ichigo the whole time—into the abyss.

"B-Bro! Kurosaki!" shouted Izumi in response to the mentioned teenagers emitting blood curdling screams. Although she intently searched the newly formed shaft, she could find no source of her brother and Ichigo. "D-Dammit! This isn't happening!"

"No need to fret, Miss Higuchi! Those two will be fine!" Urahara assured her. "I bet those two never anticipated such a large hole being here!"

He cupped his ear to the Shattered Shaft, somewhat astonished to still hear Aaron and Ichigo's shrill voices.

"I-It's rather deep, isn't it?" he asked, becoming unnerved.

"...It took a lot of effort to dig," stated Ururu.

"W-What the hell is wrong with you people?" asked Izumi honestly.

#

By the time Aaron came to, he realized he was in serious trouble. He could hardly see two feet in front of him while he shook his head and regained his bearings.

"W-Wait! I fell, right?!"

He confirmed this by glancing up. He could see the ceiling of Urahara's secret, underground training area. It was far out of his reach, and he began to panic upon noting the tight space encircling him.

"Ugh. I-I'm...sorta claustrophobic..."

His first instinct was to climb out of the Shattered Shaft. Though he scratched and clawed at the rocky exterior, he soon tumbled back into the ground with a loud thud.

"T-That wasn't a great idea," he said alongside some groaning. "Hmm?"

He noticed he wasn't alone. Ichigo was lying on the ground beside him; he hadn't taken heed of the orange-haired teen before because of how dark it was. Unlike Aaron, Ichigo's arms and hands were being restrained by strange, black bindings, ones Aaron couldn't readily determine.

"K-Kurosaki? Are you…?"

Aaron was drawn to the third occupant of the Shattered Shaft: Tessai Tsukabishi. The tall man was chanting some sort of incantation. Raising an eyebrow, Aaron wasn't sure what he was up to.

"Way of Binding Number 99: Prohibition!" declared Tessai.

"K-Kidou?!"

Aaron's assessment came too late. The same wrappings ensnaring Ichigo materialized around his limbs. Unable to keep his balance, he crashed face first into the dirt.

"Y-You've gotta be kidding me!"

"What the hell is this?!" roared Ichigo.

"It's quite selfish, but until this lesson ends, I'm afraid I'm going to have put your arm's under restraints!" clarified Tessai.

"Hello down there!" Urahara shouted into the Shattered Shaft with a cheery tone. "Just climb up here while you two are indisposed like that! That's Lesson Two, the Shattered Shaft!"

"W-What the hell are you talking about?! That's impossible!" said Ichigo.

"Q-Quite," added Aaron. He wrestled with Tessai's Kidou but deduced his meager strength wouldn't be enough to escape. "Great. Just great. Could this get any worse?"

"Oh my. I don't believe you two are in any position to complain. Look."

Look Aaron did. Much to his horror, his Chain of Fate spawned mouths, mouths with razor sharp teeth. These chompers gnawed into the links of his chain like a mighty lion ripping into its latest meal. Whatever was happening was also happening to Ichigo, who was equally astonished.

"The Encroachment has already begun," stated Urahara.

It made no sense. None of this made any sense to Aaron. Unable to think straight any longer, Aaron's began hollering uncontrollably. He did the sole thing he could to save himself by kicking at his chains. They responded by attacking themselves even harder. Pain, unadulterated pain, coursed through his being, paralyzing him.

"Your Chains of Fate are beginning to devour themselves," stated Urahara. "That is what we call Encroachment."

"D-Dammit! Take it off! Hurry and take this stupid thing off!" cried Ichigo as he drove his body into a wall to halt the corrosion.

"That won't do," Urahara informed him. "If I try to stop it..."

Like Aaron's, the mouths on Ichigo's chains ate themselves even more ferociously, inhibiting him from moving.

"The situation is out of my hands. Even I would be eaten at this rate," said Urahara.

"S-So what?!" said an enraged Izumi. Her entire body was quivering with rage. "That's no excuse to just let those two turn into Hollows! Is this really apart of their training?!"

"...It is, Miss Higuchi. If they cannot survive something like this, then their resolve was never enough for them to save their friends in Soul Society."

"Y-You..."

Urahara quietly eyed his writhing students. Izumi could hardly tell what was going through his head. He was so mysterious, so unassuming. It was somewhat frightening to her to be in the presence of a loose cannon. There truly was no telling what he would plot next.

"...Usually, it takes months or even years for an individual to transform into a Hollow after their Chain of Fate has been cut. However, the Shattered Shaft is filled with a special gas that speeds up Encroachment. Judging by the rate things are going, I'd say Mister Higuchi and Mister Kurosaki have just three days to become Shinigami and climb out of the shaft if they truly desire to survive. Otherwise, they will become Hollows without fail and be destroyed by us."

The news caused Aaron to growl like a rabid animal.

"H-How in the world did I get myself into this mess?!"

"Are you trying to kill us or something?!" said Ichigo, just as incensed.

"...If you both give up, then that is what I will be forced to do," stated Urahara matter-of-factually.

Without warning, Izumi rushed over to him and lifted him off the ground by his shirt. Jinta and Ururu were quick to go to their boss' side.

"Relax, you two," he said. Hesitantly, they did so. "You too, Miss Higuchi."

"Screw that!" she snapped. For a millisecond, everyone present was assured she was going to rip Urahara in half. She controlled herself enough to say, "I know I might tease him a lot and generally drive him insane, but that kid down there is still my baby brother! There isn't a chance in hell I'm gonna stand aside and watch him die or turn into some monster! You can try to stop me if you want, but I'm going down into that hole!"

"...I do not want to repeat myself, Miss Higuchi. Calm...down."

The simple request seemed like he were asking for the world to Izumi. Nonetheless, she grit her teeth and lowered the shopkeeper.

"My, my," said Urahara, dusting his clothing off. "I can completely understanding you being concerned about your 'baby brother,' Miss Higuchi. Even so, if you truly wish to help him, then I ask that you just stand aside and have faith in Mister Higuchi, faith that he's strong enough to overcome this ordeal."

Faith? Izumi considered the word powerless in light of what her brother and Ichigo were going through. Urahara was right though. The only thing she could do was pray for their safety, pray they would discover a way out of their desperate plight.

"Y-You better not give up, punks!" she shouted into the Shattered Shaft. "I'm gonna kick your asses myself if you two become Hollows!"

Hearing his older sister's remarks momentarily distracted Aaron from his anguish. It also made him refocus his efforts to escape the Shattered Shaft.

"I-I'm trying my best down here! Quit your yapping!"

He inspected his surroundings. There was nothing for him to use to claw his way back to the surface, and even if there was, his arms were of no use to him thanks to Tessai's binding spell.

"W-Wait! Kidou! That's it! I could use some to get outta here!"

As great as the plan first sounded, he soon remembered that Kana had never gotten around to teaching him any Kidou.

"Ugh! I-If only she weren't so lazy..."

His thoughts shifted from the brunette and to his Chain of Fate becoming active again.

"W-Wait! What in the…?!"

It went down all at once. A massive portion of chain was there one instant. The next, it was gone. Though he knew little about this 'Encroachment' process, he figured it wouldn't unfold so quickly. At this rate, he would be a Hollow in no time flat. Things didn't look much better for Ichigo either.

"D-Dammit!" the orange-haired teen moaned, gripped by pain. "W-What are we supposed to do?!"

Aaron wished, wished with all of his might, he had an answer.

"W-What's going on now?!" queried Izumi.

"...The first cycle of Encroachment has finally finished," explained Urahara. "Mister Kurosaki and Mister Higuchi had better hurry. They're already running out of time."

#

The barracks of the Fourth Division were abuzz with excitement thanks to a visitor trekking through its halls. The Shinigami, a handsome and youthful-looking man, sheepishly waved and nodded to those, mostly female, who greeted him.

"How's it going, Arashi?" a male nurse said to the individual, high-fiving him as they passed one another. "You sure you don't wanna transfer back to the Fourth Division? We really miss you around here!"

Arashi smiled and swept his fingers through locks of brown hair, chewing the proposition over. "I-I would if I could, but it's out of my hands. Besides, the Tenth Division has been treating me well!"

Moving on, Arashi caught the attention of a group of chatting nurses. The trio of women squealed like little piggies soon after he acknowledged them. Arashi, blushing, wasn't quite sure what to make of this, so he continued onward. He got that he was popular—he tended to receive tons of fan mail and compliments from both male and female Shinigami all over the Seireitei—but he never understood why. He thought of himself as a quiet guy, one who didn't stand out in a crowd. He didn't even consider himself all that attractive. His curly hair, fashioned into a short ponytail, and meager beard stubble might have been part of the reason for his appeal. Perhaps even his amber eyes, which people often told him glittered like diamonds, played a part in it. Or maybe it was even his friendly, albeit quiet demeanor. Whatever the case, he refused to allow the compliments to go to his head. After all, he thought of himself as nothing more than Arashi Mitarashi, the younger brother of a much greater Shinigami.

"Kana..." he somberly murmured. Pretending nothing was amiss while he mingled with his peers was challenging. Only hours ago, he learned the news that his beloved sibling was to be executed in a month's time. "If only there was something I could do..."

He slapped himself on the cheeks, rousing his spirit a bit. There was no sense in him getting so down, he thought. His elder sister would no doubt scold him if she could see the way he was behaving. Besides, he was confident the higher-ups in Soul Society would realize punishing Kana for her crimes with such a harsh sentence was a mistake. At least, he presumed it was confidence. Maybe it was just blind hope.

Arashi was so caught up in thinking that he hadn't taken heed to reaching the patient wing of the Fourth Division's headquarters. Ailing or injured Shinigami, regardless of division, were housed and cared for there by the expert staff on the premises. For as much flack as the Fourth Division received from the rest of the Gotei 13, most admitted things would be in total disarray if it weren't for their hard work.

Arashi was there to check up on a friend. An energetic nurse scribbling on a notepad peered up from her work when he made his over to one of the many patient rooms.

"Oh, Arashi! You're back again, I see!" she said.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry for the trouble," he replied.

"Don't worry about it. It's not like my patient gets many guests to begin with. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you again!"

'Thrilled' wasn't the term Arashi would have used.

"Uh...is it alright if I go in?" he inquired.

"Of course. I should warn you though that she's in a rather snippy mood."

"When isn't she?"

They got a good laugh out of that one. Afterward, Arashi slowly and carefully creaked the room's door open. In spite of his caution, a bed pan came hurdling at him, half near breaking his nose as it made impact. Blood dripped from the fresh injury, but holding his hand over it, he forced himself to grin.

"H-Hello there! L-Looks like you've a bit more energy today!"

Akira Akiyama glowered at Arashi and smacked her lips at his wisecrack.

"A-Are you okay, Arashi?!" asked the nurse outside.

Arashi nodded. "It's just a scratch."

The amount of red liquid staining his hands did little to ease her worries.

"Just...go away, Arashi," said Akira bitterly. She chose not to gaze at the object of her ire head on, instead focusing on a wilted flower at her bedside. "I thought I told you not to come back."

Her words, being anything but kind, weren't enough to drive Arashi away. They never were. Instead, he closed the door behind him, made his way to her bed, and took a seat on a chair beside it. She curled her lips but otherwise did nothing to deter him.

"S-Sorry for the intrusion," he said.

Her face reddened as she replied, "W-Whatever. Do as you please."

Since she would often say that whenever he came to see her, Arashi wasn't sure why she would make such a fuss beforehand.

"You're looking better, Akira," he said, spying the many wrappings adorned to her pasty skin. "Sorry I didn't come and see you sooner. I had to finish a ton of paperwork for Captain Hitsugaya. He's been rather busy nowadays, and I'm trying to lighten his load if I can."

"Tsk. I didn't ask for your life story."

"Heh. I guess you've got a point."

The conversation died out. Akira had no issues with this. She much preferred silence because shooting the breeze with Arashi was always uncomfortable for her. Having nothing to speak about was never the problem. Actually, Arashi tended to talk her ear off, sparing not even the most minute details of his day-to-day activities.

Even so, that hardly the reason she floundered having to oblige Arashi in conversation. As she fidgeted between her bed sheets and scrutinized the person in question as he changed her dead plant with a sweet-smelling replacement, she held no all consuming urge to admit what she suspected was the true matter out loud.

"Hmm? Is something the matter?"

Her heart skipped a beat. She even felt her cheeks grow red hot when Arashi stuck his face very close to hers out of the blue.

"Y-You ever heard of personal space?!" she stammered, throwing her covers over herself for protection.

"S-Sorry. I just noticed you have one less bandage today."

"The...doctors say I'm healing up pretty fast."

"That's great! Now, if you'd just stop picking fights with people..."

A vein pulsated on Akira's temple. "M-Mind your own business!"

More often than not, Arashi fretted over her like an elder brother would. For as long as she could remember, this had been the case. It was bothersome to have someone monitoring her every move, yet at the same time, it was kind of sweet. There weren't many people that cared for her in the first place.

"Thanks…for coming to see me, by the way," she said in basically a whisper.

"Huh? D-Did you say something, Akira?"

Irked, she retorted, "N-No! Get your hearing checked, fool!"

Arashi laughed tepidly. "S-Sure thing."

Akira could of course never tell anyone the true reason she was injured: from having duked it out with Kuugo Ginjou in the Human World. She lied, claiming to have been wounded fending off some drunken members of the Eleventh Division. Given that squad's reputation, there weren't many that called her claim into question.

"Tsk. I can't wait 'til I get outta here."

"Take it easy there, Akira. No need to rush it while you're still hurt. There isn't much going on in Soul Society besides...well...you know."

Akira knew alright. She knew better than anyone in the Seireitei.

"...Kana," she snarled.

"Y-Yeah. Sis." Arashi sighed. "I hate this. The three of us grew up together in Rukongai. We've always been together. We're family. To have something like this happen..."

Arashi hadn't the faintest idea, but Akira was balling her fists tightly out of view, so tightly in fact that she drew blood with her nails.

"I've been worrying myself so much, I haven't gotten much sleep," admitted Arashi. He whisked his hands over his weary visage. The lines under his eyelids told Akira his statement wasn't an exaggeration. He was going to end up in a hospital bed next if he weren't careful.

"W-Why the hell do you always do that?" she asked sourly. "...Why? And for her?"

Arashi blinked. "H-Huh? What do you mean? Kana is my sister. Of course I'd..."

"Shut up!" Akira interjected at the height of her voice. "Just...shut up! I don't want to hear about her anymore! I don't get it! Why do you care so much?! Why?! That bitch doesn't care about anyone but herself! She didn't even have the decency to come see you anymore after her promotion! You two are in the same squad for crying out loud, and she still didn't take time out of her day to check in on you like you're doing for me!"

So stunned was Arashi by this abrupt tirade that it took him some time to formulate something akin to a response.

"Kana can be...rather busy with her work." He spoke gingerly as if not craving to stumble over his own tongue. "Sure, we're apart an awful lot, but...that's never really bothered me. I don't feel we have to be together every waking moment to know that we care about each other. It's the same for you, Akira!"

"...You're an idiot," replied Akira plainly with a shake of her head. "You're far too kindhearted for your own good. It's gonna come back to haunt you one day."

It really was none of her business, so Akira wasn't sure why she was even troubling herself with the likes of Arashi. Perhaps it was because he came off as utterly hopeless to her. He truly would be lost without her, she thought, so even if it wasn't her responsibility to watch after him, she always ended up doing so anyway.

"...You're still mad at my sister, aren't you? You...still haven't forgiven her yet."

Akira's silence more than confirmed Arashi's speculation.

"It was an accident," he stated, speaking from the heart. "Akira, you need to understand that Kana would never do anything to hurt you on purpose. What happened back then was just a..."

Arashi paused. How could he speak when Akira was staring at him with such pure, consummate malice in her eyes?

"...I will never forgive her, Arashi. Never."

Before he could get another word in, Akira flipped over and retreated underneath her covers.

"...Go away already," she said. "...I'm really tired. I'm going to sleep."

"...O-Okay, Akira. Sweet dreams."

The door to the room opened, and the nurse from before peeked in.

"Is...everything alright in here?"

"Y-Yeah. I was...just leaving," said Arashi. "Again, I'm sorry for the trouble."

He made his exit but not ahead of glimpsing at Akira a final time. Biting his bottom lip, he felt it best to say something in light of what had just unfolded, yet nothing came to mind.

"Oh, you have another visitor, Miss Akiyama!" said the nurse. "I-I know you aren't particularly fond of guests, but I couldn't really say no to this one."

Akira sat up, mostly since the nurse was acting so strangely. She was shaking in what Akira was sure was fear. Once the 'guest' the nurse had spoken of made his presence known, Akira became rattled herself.

"Hi!" said Captain Gin Ichimaru. Like usual, he was in a good-natured mood. "How's it goin', Akiyama?"

"C-Captain!" Akira hastily straightened up and even gave a salute. Her sudden movements agitated one of her injuries, and she winced, grasping the spot.

"Oh? I see you're still overdoing things," said Gin, amused. "I thought you would've learned your lesson considering I pretty much had to drag you back here."

"N-Not at all, sir. I'm resting just as you requested. And...I apologize for you having to look after me like that. I didn't realize how serious my wounds were until we arrived back here in Soul Society."

Without so much as a peep, Akira's nurse slipped back in the hallway like her life depended on it. Akira so wished she could flee too.

"M-Might I ask why you're here to see me, Captain?" she asked. "Certainly, I haven't been causing you any trouble while being cooped up here."

"Eh? It is so weird I'd wanna come see my subordinate in the hospital?"

It really was, though Akira didn't say so to her Captain's face.

"...You have something important to fill me in on, don't you?"

"My, my! Aren't you scary makin' a face like that," replied Gin. His ever present smile seemed particularly eerie to Akira today. "Well, listen up closely. I ain't gonna say it again."

#

Time, presuming it even worked properly within the Shattered Shaft, was something Aaron had no concept of at the moment. The sole thing his broken mind could zero in on was the intense pain coursing through all his muscles. His bloodshot eyes moved themselves down to his Chain of Fate. The mouths had just finished eating another section.

"R-Running...out of time…"

His chain settled down, enabling him to sit up. Though he had lost track of when, he had determined that the mouths appeared to go to sleep now and then before going back to self consuming. This break in the eating process was the sole time he was able to move or even think straight without anguish getting in the way.

"K-Kurosaki? How are you doing over there?"

Ichigo was nowhere to be seen, a fact that alarmed Aaron at first. He afterward caught a gander of his friend running right up the Shattered Shaft. Naturally, Ichigo's plan failed, and gravity dragged him back to the bottom.

"L-Looks like you're still at it," said Aaron with a faint smile.

"I've gotta do something, right?!" retorted Ichigo prior to giving it another go. Like his first attempt, his efforts did nothing more than ensure he crash headfirst into the ground.

"T-True, but there's no reason to kill ourselves in the process."

Aaron put his thinking cap on, striving to come up with an escape plan while he was given the opportunity. Frowning, nothing immediately came to him. It was times such as these that he wished he were fortunate enough to have Sasune with him. His pal was a master when it came to creating something out of nothing.

"I doubt Tessai will get rid of the Kidou holding us down if I ask nicely."

Breaking his concentration was Jinta, who spoke just then from the top of the shaft.

"You two hungry?" he asked, smirking methodically.

"How in the hell could we be hungry if we're just souls?!" snapped Ichigo.

Aaron agreed. He couldn't speak for Ichigo, but personally, he hadn't felt a tangent of hunger or thirst since being thrust into the Shattered Shaft.

"That's good!" replied Jinta. "How about I let you both in on something? If the two of you start getting hungry, that means you've gotta be pretty close to becoming Hollows! If you're just thirsty, that's fine since you can just drink my spit!"

He began drooling over the expansive hole, inducing a wretch out of Aaron.

"T-That is so gross!"

"Y-You little punk!" cried Ichigo.

As he dangled his saliva precariously, Jinta said, "Ururu, you do it to."

"Okay," she replied, doing as he requested without much of a fuss.

"S-Shit! T-The drool dripped down! Don't joke around!" said Ichigo in a panic. "I-If you guys don't stop, I'm gonna come up there and kick your asses! Ah! S-Stop it already!"

"Ugh. I-I'm gonna throw up at this rate," moaned Aaron.

Paying all of this no mind, Izumi gazed up at the painted ceiling.

"...I wonder what time it is," she asked herself. "It's hard to tell being in here. I...think I was supposed to go to work today. Wait, or was it yesterday? Tomorrow?"

"If you'd like, I can come up with a suitable excuse to tell your employer!" said Urahara.

"Y-You almost sound like you really want to. Uh...no, that's alright. I just wonder how my brother is doing in that pit thingy. I haven't heard hide or hair of him in a while."

Urahara, overhearing Aaron shout for Jinta and Ururu to quit slobbing on him because he was already soaked, raised an eyebrow at her remark. Perhaps she wasn't the attentive, older sister she often proclaimed to be.

#

"Huh?!"

Aaron awoke on spur of the moment, having passed out at some undetermined point. His Chain of Fate was quiet, giving him hope that the Encroachment or whatever was over. Unfortunately, he discovered that not only was this not the case, but even more of the chain affixed to his chest was missing.

"I-It's hopeless, isn't it?" he postulated. "M-Maybe this is just a test! T-That's gotta be it! Urahara is just...seeing how long we can last! He'll come down here and stop this before it's too late once he's noticed how long Kurosaki and I have held out!"

Struggling to stand, his expression became somber as he soon doubted his own words. No matter how much he prayed, no one was coming to his aid.

"Y-You had any luck getting out, Kurosaki?"

Ichigo shook his head. "L-Looks like you were right about climbing out of here being impossible, Higuchi."

"Tsk. Now really isn't the time for 'I told you so.' S-Sorry. You've at least been trying to do something. Meanwhile, I've just been sitting here panicking. I-I'll give getting out of here a go this time."

"Hey, just take it easy!"

Ignoring Ichigo, Aaron shouted with vigor and sprinted wildly toward a wall. He got up it a few steps, but the laws of physics kicked in. He slipped, landing on his behind. Though wanting to shed salty tears, he held them in.

"That's why I'm telling you to just take it easy!" reiterated Ichigo.

"R-Right. Okay, Plan B then! Urahara said we need to become Shinigami, right?"

"Y-Yeah. Getting outta here would be a piece of cake then."

"...If only figuring out how to become a Shinigami was that easy. Any ideas?"

"Nope."

"Dammit! I should've asked Kana about this while I had the chance!"

Jinta startled the two by landing before them abruptly. The boy was carrying a large plate chock full of fruits and vegetables.

"Heh. I brought you guys somethin' to eat! You've gotta be hungry after being down here so long!"

Ichigo smirked. "Yeah, right! Look! My Chain of Fate is still pretty long!"

"Just give that food to Izumi! We don't need it!" added Aaron with tenacity.

Jinta looked the two over prior to resting the plate on the ground.

Turning the other way, he said, "...Oh, by the way, it's been about seventy-two hours since you two got down here."

Aaron's and Ichigo's eyes enlarged like saucers.

"N-No way! It's been that long?!" said Aaron.

"Y-You've gotta be kidding me!" growled Ichigo.

Jinta went on with, "Looks like you guys will be Hollows soon enough! Oh, and in case you didn't know, the final stage of Encroachment is by far the worst!"

Neither Aaron nor Ichigo got the chance to ask what the boy meant exactly. Almost on cue, their Chains of Fate sprang to life again. The number of mouths on them increased exponentially, and they madly chomped on themselves like never before.

"T-That's impossible! There was so much chain left!" exclaimed Ichigo. Desperately, he set his sights on Jinta. "D-Do something already!"

Aaron drove his body into a wall repeatedly, threatening to worsen his already cracked rib cage. This was of minor concern to him. As terror spread across his countenance like wildfire, he could sense what was about to unfold.

At last, his and Ichigo's Chains of Fate shattered like glass. Pitch black holes replaced them, Hollow holes. Aaron held his breath, thinking that if he dared to inhale, it would be the end of him. His resilience, while admirable, did nothing to slow the inevitable.

He detected something swelling within him, a sensation he couldn't describe with mere speech. Then, pain, more pain than he had endured during the Encroachment, swept over him. It caused him to howl in utter agony as he could as a white substance leaked out of every orifice on his face.

"W-What?! What's going on?!" Drawn by the sound of her brother, Izumi half near fell down into the Shattered Shaft rushing onto the scene. "W-Wait a second! Are you just gonna let this happen, Urahara?! Go down there and do something before it's too late! That Kurosaki kid and my brother are going to…!"

Urahara lowered his bucket hat over his face. "...My apologizes, Miss Higuchi. I'm afraid there is nothing that can be done now. As you can see, those two are already beginning to turn into Hollows."

"N-No! No! This can't be happening!"

Thinking she had no other choice but to intervene, Izumi prepared to leap into the Shattered Shaft. However, Urahara grabbed her arm.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said.

"Let me go, you bastard! You might not wanna do anything, but I do! That's my baby brother down there!" she replied, shoving him aside.

Jinta was quick to climb back to the surface, terrified out of his wits.

"W-Whoa! Those two are really gonna become Hollows!"

His comment only reaffirmed Izumi's desire to spring into action.

"I'm going, Urahara, whether you like it or not!"

"Please, I'm asking you to calm yourself Miss Higuchi."

"And I'mtelling you there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Ururu wordlessly surveyed her boss and Izumi arguing ahead of shifting herself to Aaron and Ichigo.

"...Preparing rescue operation," she mumbled, extending her arm.

Urahara rested his hand on her shoulder. "Wait just a moment, Ururu."

"W-Why?! Are you outta your mind?! We need to do something now!" roared Izumi.

Urahara sighed. "My, my! You're just as impatient as Mister Higuchi! I want everyone here to watch those two down there carefully."

Aaron, craving something to distract himself from his unending anguish, began pounding his head against a rocky surface.

"Usually, when an individual becomes a Hollow, their soul will explode and then transport itself elsewhere," continued Mister Hat and Clogs. "In Mister Kurosaki's and Mister Higuchi's cases, their transformation is happening out of order. Their masks are appearing first, but their physical forms are still in one piece. This means the two must be resisting their transformation, which in turn means they still have a chance at becoming Shinigami. With that in mind, I suggest you all stand aside and just watch."

Shaken up, Izumi nodded and opted to remain a spectator for the time being.

"C-Come on, little bro! Keep fighting! Don't you dare give up!"

Whether he could hear her encouragement or not, Izumi saw that Aaron wasn't throwing in the towel just yet. He scratched and clawed at the white mask obscuring his features in an effort to rip it off. Blood trickled down his fingers while he did so, and he felt himself fading fast.

#

A gentle breeze swept across Aaron, rousing him from a slumber he had no recollection falling into. Grunting, he powered himself to a standing position and glanced himself over. The Hollow hole and mask were gone, as well as the crippling pain. Miraculously, he was okay.

"H-How? Wasn't I just…?"

His concentration was broken when another gust of air hit him. He then gasped, becoming aware of the grassy, moonlit plain he was in. The large moon hanging in the sky was colored a deep blue, a shade that calmed him and enabled him to get a better look at his new surroundings. He could see nothing of interest for miles ahead, so he decided wandering off would be a bad idea. Of course, simply remaining put would get him nowhere either.

"What in the world is this place? Am I...dreaming?"

That was a suitable explanation in his opinion. After all, the last thing he remembered before this was dying an agonizing death back in the Shattered Shaft.

"R-Right. I was...becoming a Hollow. Wait, then what does this place have to do with that?"

He soon lost interest in determining the circumstances. Dusting himself off, he knew that wherever he was, it was absolutely breathtaking. Remaining there for the rest of his days didn't seem all that bad to him strangely. Taking a deep breath, the air was as sweet as honey. No, it was even sweeter.

"Man, this place really is amazing!"

"I'm pleased you enjoy this domain so much. I do as well," stated a tranquil voice behind him. He swiveled to it, anticipating trouble. However, a beautiful woman that couldn't have been that much older than him was there instead. She had short, blue hair that shimmered in the moonlight, tan skin, and wore nothing more than tattered, white cloth.

"Y-You…! I've seen you before!" cried Aaron. "Who are you?!"

The girl, expressionless, nodded. "Indeed. We have met previously. Then again, you have always known me. Perhaps you just haven't realized until now."

Aaron absorbed her claim, finding it puzzling, but not off base. It was as if she were an old friend he hadn't seen in a very long time.

"T-This is gonna sound weird, but...what's your name? I swear it's on the tip of my tongue, but nothing is coming to me."

"Yes, I'm not shocked you've yet to learn my name. Shall I tell you then?"

Aaron was eager to know, more so than he thought he would. Not knowing what to call this person was driving him crazy.

She obliged him. However, Aaron heard nothing but the howling of the wind come out of her mouth. Distressed, the girl uttered her name again and with urgency but amassed the same result.

"...I see," she then stated, disappointment painting in her comment. "You are still unable to hear my name then."

Aaron was unable to say a word. He felt like he had really let this girl down.

Spreading her arms and smiling reassuringly, she said, "Do not fret, Aaron. Perhaps I simply expected too much from you all at once. This is the first time I have been able to speak to you face-to-face, so I'm a tad bit excited. Nevertheless, I'm getting ahead of myself. Everything around you, including myself, is a manifestation of your Shinigami powers."

To state this development was a complete and total shock to Aaron would have been a tremendous understatement.

"W-Wait! Y-You're saying I actually have Shinigami powers?!"

"Of course. You must feel it as well. The familiar sensation of spirit energy encased around your very being."

Specks of light resembling fireflies spiraled all around Aaron. They were warm, comforting even. It seemed like they were welcoming him back to something he hadn't been a part of in a long while.

"I-Isn't this...Kurosaki's energy?"

"Indeed. Some of it anyway. It merged with your own power."

"...Come again? I...have power too?"

"Of course. Do you really think you could have gotten as far as you have without possessing strength of your own? You aren't as weak as you oftentimes believe yourself to be, Aaron. The mere fact you haven't become a Hollow yet is proof of that."

It was funny. He recounted Kana telling him something similar.

"That is right, Aaron. You have power. Kana Mitarashi and Ichigo Kurosaki were simply the spark that ignited it. It was sleeping, needing to be awakened."

The illumination bathing Aaron intensified.

"W-What's going on now?"

"There isn't much time, Aaron. You must claim the power you hold by the throat if you truly desire to become a Shinigami once more. You must move forward without fear or doubt, and most importantly, you must place some faith in yourself."

None of this made an ounce of sense to Aaron. On the other hand, it wasn't like he had much of a choice but to believe in this strange woman.

"A-Alright! I'll give it a try!"

Suddenly, the ground began to quake intensely, almost sweeping Aaron off his feet. Then, the moonlit plain began to wash away into nothingness.

"Ugh! What the hell is going on now?!" groaned Aaron.

"...I was afraid of this. Aaron, this world is crumbling away. Your transition into a Hollow is accelerating. We must make haste."

"I-I don't wanna see this place go! Just tell me what I gotta do!"

"That is simple. First and foremost, do not despair. All you need to do is become a Shinigami. If you can accomplish that, this place and myself will remain. You must accept your power wholly, Aaron."

"W-Why does everyone I talk to speak in riddles?!"

Time was of the essence. Shutting his eyelids, Aaron took a deep breath. Despite not knowing precisely what to do, he allowed his instincts to take over. His mind blocked out everything except the surging power enveloping his every pore.

"Kana..."

The brunette's giggling image popped into his psyche, reminding him of what was at stake. If he failed here, she would suffer the consequences. She might have been a total airhead and a pain in the butt for the most part, yet he truthfully couldn't stand the idea of losing her for good. He would much rather perish himself than let that come to pass.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on!"

The blue-haired girl smirked with pride after a wave of energy erupted from Aaron.

#

Konoka Mitsumi paused from drinking her cup of tea upon getting a chill down her spine. Lowering her glass, she blinked and combed around for an explanation.

"H-Higuchi?"

"Is something the matter, Miss Mitsumi?" asked Jives, her loyal butler as he brewed another batch of green tea.

"N-No. It...musta been my imagination."

"I see. Anyhow, your meal will be out shortly. I apologize for the delay."

Jives stepped away to grab Konoka's lunch, whereas the heiress of the Mitsumi fortune was troubled over a matter of great importance.

"Wait a sec, Jives," she said.

"Yes? If there's something I can assist you with, mistress, please don't..."

"What the hell do poor kids do for summer vacation?"

Jives frowned. "O-Oh. Is that what's bothering you?"

"Well, it's not botherin' me, but I am curious. I can't think of a way to spend all this free time I'm gonna have thanks to summer vacation. I'm gonna die of boredom if I stay cooped up here in the mansion. That's why I wanna know what kids who aren't stinkin' rich do for fun."

"I see." Jives thought briefly and then cleared his throat. "I hope I'm not getting ahead of myself by saying this, but perhaps you could spend your time doing something constructive."

"Come again?"

"What I'm suggesting is that you do something that will make a difference this summer, something you will be proud to look back on. You are a very influential person in the world, Miss Mitsumi, so there's bound to be something out there for you to undertake that will leave people quite pleased."

Konoka smacked her lips. She had heard this type of speech far too many times for her to count, and frankly, it pushed her buttons.

"...God dammit." She sighed and got to her feet. "Well, I guess I owe Higuchi a favor. Might as well pay him back now since I ain't got nothin' better to do."

"Hmm? Did you say something, Miss Mitsumi?" asked Jives.

"Nope. Just need to make a phone call real quick."

"B-But what about your lunch, mistress?"

"Throw it in the fridge or somethin'. I ain't got time to eat right now."

Jives was a bit hurt she was nonchalantly hand waving his hard work. Nevertheless, he composed himself enough to retort, "O-Of course, Miss Mitsumi."

He watched her go, noting it had been quite some time since he had seen her so fired up.

"She's becoming a fine young woman by the looks of it. Heh. I'm certain her parents would be most proud of her."

#

Though Konoka hesitated to do so, she picked up the receiver of a fancy-looking telephone and placed it up to her ear. She then dialed a number, eying a black business card between her fingertips. Why she hadn't thrown it out yet, she wasn't sure, but she was almost glad she hadn't considering the circumstances. Then again, reading 'Welcome to Our Xcution' on the back of the card made her second guess herself.

"...I really must be an idiot if I'm doing this."

It was too late for her to change her mind. The ringing on the other end of the call was replaced by a person's voice, an individual Konoka wished with all her might she didn't have to speak with.

"...It's me, Ginjou," she muttered.

"Konoka Mitsumi! Well, well, well! It's good to hear your voice again!" answered a beaming Kuugo Ginjou. "I had a hunch you would be calling."

"Oh, shut up. Look, I don't have time for your bullshit, so I'll just get right to the point. I need your help, Ginjou."

"Oh? Is that so? ...You've got a lot of nerve asking for something like that. Maybe you've forgotten what happened the last time we saw each other."

Konoka rolled her eyes. "I ain't gonna beg you. You once said Xcution could help me develop my Fullbring, right? Is that offer still on the table?"

"I see. Heh. I'm a nice guy. I can forgive and forget. I don't mind training you, but as a reminder, you and that friend of yours did a number on our headquarters out here in Naruki City. Yukio won't do it since he says he's already loaned us 'deadbeats' enough money, so if you could spring the cost of repairs, we'd greatly appreciate it."

"Oh, so now you're extorting me for money? What happened to 'forgive and forget?'"

"Hey, I'm not that kind of guy, Konoka! Man, you even sound like a raging beast over the phone. Listen, all I'm saying is that if you're gonna ask a favor from me, it's only fair that I do the same."

Konoka grumbled and debated on hanging up right then and there.

"Hold on a second. You're the one that called me, remember? If you want my help, you shouldn't act so hasty" said Ginjou.

"H-How did you…?" Konoka, becoming increasingly irritated, squeezed on a close-at-hand stress ball. "W-Whatever! Are you gonna help me or not?! I'll have the damn check ready as soon as possible if so! I don't have any time to waste. There's this guy I need to help out, and I wanna get stronger if I'm gonna do it!"

"Heh. You're actually sticking your neck out for someone? I guess wonders never cease, huh? If that's the case, you don't have to worry about a thing, Konoka! Xcution is going to take good care of you!"

#

Back at the Shattered Shaft, a pillar of spirit energy burst from the crevice, nearly sweeping aside everyone on the surface. Izumi braced herself and picked on the unmistakable presence of her younger brother. There was something different about his spiritual pressure though. It was thick and heavy, making it difficult for her to breathe.

"I-I can feel that Kurosaki kid too. Just what the hell is happening down there?"

Tessai, the third person in the shaft, was fearful upon detecting no change in Aaron's or Ichigo's status. Even worse, they were beginning to power out of their restraints.

"I-I think it's over, boss!" he shouted to Urahara. "I'll have to eliminate them before they can finish turning into Hollows!"

"W-Wait a second! You can't!" cried Izumi. "Dammit, Urahara! Haven't I waited long enough?!"

Urahara leered at her but chose to observe the ongoing chaos in silence.

"...I'm a little scared," admitted Ururu.

"S-Stop talking like that!" yelled Jinta. He was keeping up a brave front for Ururu's sake, yet it was clear to the others he too was frightened. "T-Tessai won't let anything happen to us! Neither will the Boss!"

As Aaron and Ichigo were almost finished shredding the Kidou binding them, Tessai sprung into action.

"Way of Binding Number 99 Part 2: Full Prohibition! Prologue: Halting Wraps!"

He thrust his huge hands into the ground, making white energy coalesce around Aaron and Ichigo. It then transformed into wrappings, ones that covered its victims from head to toe.

"Refrain: Serial Hundred Bolts!"

Next, an innumerable amount of metal bolts impaled the teenagers.

"W-Wait a sec! W-Won't those two die for sure if Tessai keeps going?!" asked Jinta.

"Whatever it is you're doing, stop it already!" pleaded Izumi. Tears were streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry, miss, but I don't have any choice! I need to contain these boys before they can cause any harm as Hollows!"

Tessai was ready to end things.

"Finale: Full Prohibition Seal!"

A metal box of gigantic proportions was summoned, and Tessai directed it at Aaron and Ichigo. It sped at high speed, whistling across the sky. Unable to look on any longer, Izumi turned away and wasn't sure why things had to turn out this way. All her brother and Ichigo desired was save their friends. Why then did they have to be put down like wild animals? It wasn't fair, she thought. It just wasn't fair.

Ichigo and Aaron, wearing fully formed Hollow masks, burst out of the white bandages and leered up at the metal box. Just as it would have flattened them, their bodies emitted a second eruption of energy, destroying it. Urahara was quick to shield everyone from the resulting shock wave.

"H-Huh?! It...exploded?!" cried Jinta.

"...Boom," said Ururu quietly.

"Boom is right! Ugh! I am so lost right now!" said Izumi.

Two unidentifiable objects vaulted out of the Shattered Shaft and then made impact right in front of Urahara and company. Smoke surged from the spot, leaving those hungry for answers unsatisfied.

"I-It couldn't be!" said Izumi. "I-Is that you, Aaron?! Answer me! I'm gonna give you a wedgie if you don't!"

"Are you in there too, orange-hair?! Hurry up and say something!" shouted Jinta.

The two weren't forced to wait long. The cloud of dust and debris faded and gave them a perfect view of two figures clad in black robes. Adorned to their faces were masks, Hollow masks. This prompted Izumi's and Jinta's blood to run cold, and for a moment, they lost the ability to speak.

"Shinigami uniforms and masks?!" uttered Jinta. His teeth were chattering. "Are they Hollows or...Shinigami?"

Izumi whispered, "T-There's no way they can be...both, right?"

Whatever they were, Ichigo and Aaron reached for their respective swords suddenly. Jinta and Ururu responded by taking fighting stances.

"Tsk! Don't get all high and mighty!" said Jinta. "Bring it on!"

"H-Hold on a second! There's gotta be some misunderstanding!" said Izumi.

"Are you crazy?! Just look at those two! I ain't gonna stand around and wait for them to take us out! Sorry, but our Boss ordered us to take those two down if it came to this!"

"...Beginning destruction operation," said Ururu.

Izumi grit her teeth. "D-Don't just stand there, Urahara! Do…!"

Rather than directing their weapons on the others, Ichigo and Aaron turned them on themselves, employing the hilts to break apart their masks. The bits and pieces rained down.

"Whew! That's much better!" said Aaron with a smile. "I couldn't see anything!"

Ichigo ripped off what was left of his mask. "Tell me about it! That was weird..."

"Yeah. I'm...not interested in doing something like that ever again."

"H-He's alright." Izumi sighed in relief and placed her hand against her racing heart. "D-Don't you ever scare me like that again, Aaron! I really thought I lost you for a minute!"

"Huh? I-Izumi? How long have you been there?" Aaron scratched his head. "Hey, since when have you cared so much about me?"

Izumi became as red as a tomato. "Y-You idiot! Of course I care about you! I've got half a mind to come over there and make sure you die for real this time!"

"Congratulations!" declared Urahara. "You two are now Shinigami again! That means you both have passed the second test!"

"Shut up."

Ichigo jabbed the end of his Zanpakutou into Urahara's nose with force. Even the humble shop owner wasn't immune to pain; he held the afflicted area and whimpered.

"Huh? Ichigo's sword is still broken?" said Aaron. "Does that mean…?"

He examined his own Zanpakutou, which was still the same tiny, pitiful wakizashi from before. Yearning to weep, Aaron settled on sniffling and tucking his sword into a black sheath near his waist that was hanging from a rope tied to his shoulders.

"Well...that's new at least."

"Since I came back from that damn shaft, that means I can kill you!" Ichigo informed Urahara, coming off as deranged to just about everyone.

"T-Take it easy there, Kurosaki," warned Aaron.

"Shut up! I already made a promise that if I made it outta that hole alive, I would kill this guy!" Ichigo's eyelids jerked every now and then, and his index finger trembled as he pointed it at the object of his ire. "You should be in on this too, Higuchi, after what this bastard put us through!"

"A-As tempting as the offer sounds, I'm...um...gonna have to decline."

"Oh? Well, if that's how you feel, Mister Kurosaki, that's good! We can proceed straight into the third test!" said Urahara.

"W-Why do you still sound so upbeat after being threatened?"

Maybe Mister Hat and Clogs was the loony one here, Aaron thought.

"W-Wait! What the hell could be left after what we went through?!" he exclaimed.

"Don't fret, Mister Higuchi! This lesson is rather simple! There's no time limit, and all you have to do is use your Zanpakutou to cut down my hat!"

"Huh? That's...really it?"

Was this a trick? Aaron wasn't certain, but then again, nothing was easy to comprehend when it came to dealing with Kisuke Urahara.

"Well, I guess we can..."

A flabbergasted Aaron bit down on his tongue when Ichigo closed in on Urahara in the blink of an eye and swung his Zanpakutou downward. His target leaned back at the last second.

"That's pretty good!" said Urahara. "To think a broken sword could have that much power."

"Heh! Of course! When I get serious, this is what I'm capable of! You don't even have to say there's no time limit! I'll only need five minutes to finish you off!" replied Ichigo.

Aaron's jaw hit the floor. "H-Hold on a second, Kurosaki! You can't just…!"

"Is that so, Mister Kurosaki?" Urahara drew his Zanpakutou out of his cane, light glinting off the blade. "Very well then. I'll give you and Mister Higuchi five minutes. You two can try to finish me off."

Aaron gulped. An aspect to the shop owner had changed, and the man appeared more serious than ever before. Aaron got the feeling that if he didn't pull out his own weapon, he would be finished in no time flat.

"Tsk! This wasn't even my idea! Why am I always getting dragged into other people's messes?!"

"Quit your yappin', Higuchi! This is where things get fun!" said Ichigo.

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I think we have a different definition of 'fun' though."

Stretching his limbs, Aaron sighed and hoped he still had the instincts for battle.

"Something tells me it's not like riding a bike..."

#

"Hey, come back here! Sit still already!"

Pouting her lips, Kana reached out for the Hell Butterfly prancing around her head, missing by inches. As if to mock her, the black and red insect flew up to a spot she couldn't possibly get to, even after she began jumping up and down on her tip toes. She eventually gave up and sat down on what she guessed was supposed to be her bed: a dirty, white cot with numerous holes. She grimaced, yet since the floor was damp, cold, and uncomfortable, resting on the cot was better than the alternative.

"Ugh! Can they seriously treat someone as beautiful as me this way and get away with it?!"

"Pipe down in there!" the guard outside her cell said. The Hell Butterfly whizzed past him, and he swatted at it to ward it off. "Man, it's like she runs on an infinite supply of energy! She hasn't shut up since she got here!"

"Hey, I heard that, jerk! Wait until the Captain comes back! I am so gonna tell him you've been treating me poorly! He'll probably turn you into a Popsicle!"

Tempted to counter with his own barrage of slurs, the guard growled under his breath and chose not to stoop to his prisoner's level. His shift was almost over anyway.

"Bored now!" decried Kana. Yawning, she stretched out onto her bed, aiming her amber eyes on the ceiling. "I hope Rangiku comes back soon! I so miss hanging out with her! I kinda miss the Captain too."

The only fun she ever had in the Soul Society was when she was spending time with her friends and fellow Tenth Division squad mates.

#

Her initial days in the Tenth Division were as fresh on her mind as the day they occurred. Twenty years ago, she had been nothing more than a low ranking member of another squad before finally getting a transfer as reward for all her hard work as a member of the Gotei 13.

Her first day had been total chaos. She had gotten up late to meet up with the rest of her new squad members for an orientation, so she had to skip out on lunch and get dressed in a hurry.

"I'm gonna be late! I'm gonna be late!" she bellowed. A piece of toast was stuck between her teeth, and her Shinigami robes were halfway on her person. She got the gist something was amiss with her attire after she got various and bewildered glances from those in the Seireitei. "Man, Arashi was right! I really shouldn't have stayed up all night partying!"

She was celebrating her promotion with her former teammates and could still feel the effects of all the alcohol she ingested. Her head was pounding, sort of like there was a marching band playing within her skull. Retching, she forced down the contents of her stomach, having a hunch barfing on her first day would give the wrong impression.

"Ah! There!"

She made it to the Tenth Division's barracks, where a room of nervous, fidgety Shinigami were waiting. Kana slipped into the crowd and retrieved a compact mirror to make sure she didn't look too bad.

"I really hate doing stuff like this!" she whispered to a sweating man beside her. He stared at her from the corner of his eye but was far too busy trying not to vomit himself out of anxiousness to reply. "I'd rather be at home sitting on my couch or something! How come they gotta parade us out in front of all the veteran Shinigami? They're just gonna make fun of us or call us 'newbies' or something! Say, do you have any idea what they're gonna do to us?"

"N-No..." the man informed her, sounding somewhat annoyed. "None of us do."

"Seriously?! Ugh! This totally sucks! I had to wake up so early too! I'm not a morning person at all! Well, at least there seems to be a lot of hunks in this division! Looks like I'll have some nice eye candy to keep me from getting too bored!"

The boy next to her, now both nervous and upset, stated, "W-Would you be quiet already?! You're gonna get us in trouble!"

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"I SAID YOU SHOULD BE QUIET!"

Kana gasped. "H-Hey! What crawled up your butt and died, mister?!"

"Pipe down over there, you two!" said a third person. The male Shinigami Kana had been chatting up palmed his hand across his face, vexed to find himself in trouble in the end. Kana, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow at the blue, spiky-haired little boy glaring at her.

Scowling, she told a much younger Toushirou Hitsugaya, "Hey, you brat! Who do you think you're talking to like that?! Heh! You better run along and play before I really get mad and give you a spanking! In case you haven't noticed, me and everyone else here have adult business to attend to! Isn't that right, Louie?!"

"W-Who the hell is Louie?" wondered the male Shinigami.

"For your information, I'm the Third Seat of this squad," said Hitsugaya. "A newbie like you should show some respect."

Kana, seething in anger, pressed her nose against his. "Y-You brat! There's no way something like that could be true! Lying it's good, you know! Didn't your parents teach you anything?!"

Shoving his face back at her, Hitsugaya retorted, "I thought I told you to pipe down! You're going to choke on your tongue if you keep yapping like that!"

The two snarled at each other like feuding dogs, solely being interrupted by the arrival of a clearly intoxicated Rangiku Matsumoto. A few Shinigami got out of the way as she wobbled here and there, threatening to fall over like a tree in a forest. She balanced herself, and her sizable bust, against Hitsugaya's cranium.

"W-What's goin' on in here?!" she slurred. "Are ya startin' trouble again, Toushirou?!"

Hitsugaya pinched his nostrils. "You reek. And I wasn't doing anything of the sort. You would pick now of all times to get loaded off your ass. As Vice-Captain, don't you think you're setting a bad example for all the new recruits?"

Acknowledging the many—bewildered—faces peering back at her, Rangiku's features wrinkled.

"Hmph! I ain't got much ta say other than I hope y'all can hold yer liquor!"

Hitsugaya shook his head, craving to be anywhere but his present location. The Tenth Division's rookies felt mostly the same. In fact, the only person who wasn't begging for someone to shoot them was Kana, who was grinning like a kid in a candy store.

"Finally! Someone who knows how to let loose around here!"

Hitsugaya muttered, "Just great. Another idiot like Matsumoto..."

Adding to his grief was the arrival of a tall, rugged Shinigami, one who brought about animated chatter from the crowd. It was easy to understand why. The white cloak the man wore over his black robes signified he was a Captain, more specifically, the Captain of the Tenth Division. He absorbed the proceedings, swiping at his itchy bear hair using his nails.

He afterward whistled, saying, "Well, there's a lot more of you all here than I thought there would be!"

"Wow! It's really him!" said Kana under her breath. Yes, she knew of Isshin Shiba well. He was the current head of the prestigious Shiba clan, one of the many noble families residing in the Seireitei. Having such a famous, well respected person as her new Captain admittedly made her tense. "Oh boy. I-I better not do anything to get on his bad side..."

"Heh! I guess this just means everyone believes the Tenth Division is the best squad in the Gotei 13! Well, you all are right!" said Isshin, laughing heartily.

"Yer late, Captain!" Rangiku drunkenly declared. "Where've you been, eh?! You had the nerve ta give me all yer paperwork to finish! I'm not your personal secretary! Please take yer job more seriously!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Despite Isshin's response, the way he was smirking suggested he wasn't so apologetic. "Say, what's that smell? Sounds like you've started the party without me, Matsumoto!"

His fingers twitching, Isshin moved them toward Rangiku's ever present cleavage. They never got there though thanks to the busty blonde smacking Isshin and the drool oozing out of his lips onto the floor with a swift, right hook. As their new Captain held his throbbing cheek in anguish, the Tenth Division recruits all gasped.

"I dun care how drunk I am! Hands to yerself!" stated Rangiku, her nostrils flaring.

"You've got a lot of nerve chewing him out, Matsumoto, since you threw all your work on me not ten minutes ago," said Hitsugaya.

Determining why Rangiku had become so red was difficult. Everyone guessed she was either embarrassed by Hitsugaya's loose lips, angry with the boy, or perhaps simply too inebriated. The solution hardly seem relevant in the wake of her losing her balance in an attempt to swipe at Hitsugaya. She toppled with an audible thud next to Captain Shiba. Again, those present cringed.

"Hey! Who put this stupid floor here?!" she angrily asked.

"...Are you seriously going to allow this type of behavior, Captain?" inquired Hitsugaya. Isshin let him know of his opinion by chuckling as hard as he could. "...Idiots."

All eyes zeroed in on Kana once she began to giggle too.

"Wow! This place is ever better than I imagined!" she happily said. "I was complaining about having to wake up early for this, but now I'm glad I did! I wouldn't have wanted to miss any of this for the world!"

"Woo! That's what I like to hear!" a hiccuping Rangiku said. "I was startin' ta get worried thinkin' all of ya were sticks in tha mud! Now then, let's get wasted already!"

"Huh? But aren't you already…?"

A bottle of liquor was shoved down Kana's throat, cutting her off. She was no match against Rangiku's alcohol-powered might and could do nothing more than flail her arms about wildly. Thankfully, Rangiku backed off upon hearing the brunette gagging violently.

"Whoa there, Matsumoto! Try not to kill any of our new squadmates on their first day!" said Isshin.

"Is this division really going to be okay with people like them in it?" wondered Hitsugaya as he eyed Rangiku apologetically patting a coughing Kana on the back.

"T-The whole room is spinning!" said the brunette, trying not to blow chunks.

#

Kana was brought out of the past and back into the present by a visitor outside of her cell.

"Oh! Captain Hitsugaya!" she said, getting to her feet.

"Mitarashi," he replied. "...Are you alright? You don't look so good."

"Me? Of course! Peachy keen! Ookie-dokie! Never been better! Happy as…!"

"Alright, alright. I get it." Hitsugaya turned to the guard. "You're dismissed."

The guard saluted and couldn't help but crack a smile at being set free at last.

"Say, where's Rangiku?" asked Kana. The blonde was nowhere in sight.

Hitsugaya crossed his arms. "I made her do some work today. For once. She wanted to go to the bar and get wasted, so I thought I'd remind her she's a Vice-Captain with a few dozen stacks of paperwork."

"Ouch! You don't pull any punches, do you, Captain?" replied Kana. Pausing, she stared Hitsugaya straight in his blue eyes. "...You're not here just to chat, are you?"

Hitsugaya delayed in saying, "...No, I'm not, Mitarashi. I'm afraid I have some bad news. Though I tried my hardest to stop it, you will be executed as a first level criminal in twenty-six days, noon sharp. These orders come straight from Central 46. As such, even you should realize how absolute they are. Rukia Kuchiki's sentence was handed out today as well. It was the same, meaning..."

"...They're gonna execute us together..."

Holding out hope until the very last moment hadn't done much for Kana. She assumed that if anyone could get her out of her jam, it was her Captain. Nonetheless, it was obvious to her now that there was no escaping her fate no matter how much intervention she called upon.

"I'm sorry, Mitarashi. I was really hoping things didn't have to turn out this way," said a somber Hitsugaya.

Kana couldn't speak. She placed her hand on her throat, unsure as to why her voice refused to heed her. It likely had something to do with her becoming pale, icy cold even. She wrapped her arms around herself and began to shiver like she were in the middle of a snowstorm. Strength faded from her knees.

"M-Mitarashi…?"

Without warning, she screamed, shrieked even, at the top of her lungs. It resounded throughout her the prison, and Hitsugaya was forced to shield his eardrums.

"K-Knock it off already, Mitarashi! You can't just..."

"I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! I'M GONNA DIE!"

Hitsugaya could hardly stand to observe her run around like a headless chicken.

"Mitarashi, stop it! I understand this type of news is hard to swallow, but…!"

"A-Are you seriously trying to tell me to relax?! Calm down?! How the heck could I do something like that?! Don't you get it?! I'm gonna die! It's totally not fair either! W-Why do me and Rukia have to be killed over what we did?! I-I know it was a bad thing, but...but…!"

Her words fell out of her grasp once more. Replacing them were warm tears, and Kana no longer cared for maintaining a brave front.

"...That's enough, Mitarashi!"

The rage in Hitsugaya's tone wasn't the only thing that made Kana snap out of it. It was also the solid ice permeating on the walls and the floor. Kana, her eyes widening, realized that her Captain was the source of the frigid climate.

"Stop making a fool of yourself!" he hollered. "You have every right to panic! I understand that! Still, as a Shinigami and member of the Gotei 13, you need to take responsibility for your actions and face your punishment with your head held high! You'll be disgracing every one of your fellow Tenth Division members otherwise!"

Kana took a moment to compose herself. With the aid of a handkerchief, she blew her nose and wiped her face clean.

"O-Okay. I'm...still really upset, but...y-you yelling at me isn't making me feel better, Captain, so I guess I'd better just do as you say."

"Hmph. I'm always yelling at you, as much as I do with Matsumoto."

Kana, in light of everything, smiled. "Heh! That's true!"

Things quieted down, with Hitsugaya's gaze shifting to the ground.

"This...will likely be the last time we see one another before your execution, Mitarashi. They'll be moving you and Kuchiki somewhere else soon."

"R-Right! I understand!" Kana bowed at Hitsugaya, mostly to show respect, but also to hide the fact she hadn't quit sobbing. "T-Thank you so much for taking care of me over the years! I promise that no matter what happens from here on out, I won't do anything to tarnish the reputation of the Tenth Division!"

"That's more like..."

"Uh…t-this might be a bad time to ask, but could you please bust me outta here? Pretty please? It'd be easy for you, Captain! You could throw a little ice here, a little ice there! We could run off like lovers into the sunset! Then again, people might get the wrong idea about me and call me a cougar or something if they find me with someone so young."

"GET REAL!" said Hitsugaya, prompting Kana to whimper like a frightened puppy. "Did you even hear anything I had to say?! You're hopeless!"

Throwing his hands up in exasperation, Hitsugaya marched away.

"H-Hold on, Captain! Come back! Dang it! I really thought that was gonna work too!" said Kana. "Well, guess I'll just have to come up with another escape plan! Boy, I wonder how Rukia is holding up. She gotta be doing better than me, that's for sure."

Her eyes became misty again, and needing something to preoccupy her from her sorrow, Kana grabbed a close-by spoon. It might have been a stretch, but she theorized she could dig herself to freedom if she was diligent.

"T-Then again, I don't wanna mess up my manicure. Okay, time to think up a new plan!"

Footsteps clattered their way toward her cell, and she made haste to not only toss away her would-be escape instrument but also stretch out on her bed to make it seem as if she were doing nothing of interest.

"W-Wait, maybe that's the Captain coming back! Ha! I knew he'd change his mind!"

If the man standing on the other side of her cell was Toushirou Hitsugaya, the boy had grown several feet in the span of minutes. On top of that, he now shared the same hair and eye color as Kana. Needless to say, the individual was someone else, someone Kana hadn't been expecting to see.

"Hello, sister," said Arashi Mitarashi warmly. "It's...been quite awhile, hasn't it?"

END