Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and, Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima I own nothing. Thanks again to Greatkingrat88.

Ok, so...chapter is a little late...Sorry. Life got...Hard. Like, VERY hard. I failed my recent college class, and Ive been BUSY at my work. Greatkingrat88 has been busy himself. Still, you'll be happy to know that the next chapter has a lot of it already written down.

Better late than never after all. Besides...I think you'll all enjoy what happens in this chapter.

Please enjoy, and leave a review if you can, I greatly appreciate it.

They dashed across the city through the night, Erza and the quincy- Masaki- and after a few miles, they slowed down, landing on a simple street by an apartment complex. Masaki opened a door, and Erza followed her up a staircase, into a small, but neat apartment- a couple of rooms, a kitchen, all the necessities she supposed a body would need. It looked different, as the fashions did for humans, but at the end of the day shinigami and human were not so different.

"Isshin!" Masaki shouted, as she hung up her coat, and took off her shoes. "Isshin, we got a visitor."

"What now?" Isshin said, his voice coming from another room.

"It's your angry redheaded friend." Masaki said.

"It's me!" Erza shouted, and immediately she could hear Isshin get up, and in a moment he had walked into the hall, a broad smile in his face.

"Erza!" He exclaimed, looking glad. "What- what brings you here? You didn't tell anybody, did you?" He said the last part, sounding a bit anxious.

"…no, nothing of the sort." Erza said, shaking her head. "Wait- you two are living together?" She gave Isshin a suspicious look, and he raised his hands defensively, and said,

"I'm a perfect gentleman, I assure you!" Erza could see the look on Masaki's face; eyes were definitely being rolled, but that didn't deter Isshin. "I swear to you, on my word as a man of honour-" this time, Erza was the one to roll her eyes, "-that there is nothing untoward going on. I just… didn't want to stay cooped up with that bucket hat creeper, and Masaki-chan just so happened to offer. I pay rent!" He said insistently.

"By 'offer' he means 'begged me on his bare knees'." Masaki said, scoffing. "He does pay rent, though." She admitted.

"I'm going to study to be a doctor!" Isshin said cheerily. "I'm indebted to the bucket hat for the time being, but I'll pay him back- set up, get my own place perhaps… well, that's all in the future. But… what brings you here? Got a mission done, decided to check in on ol' Isshin?" He grinned. "You're a good kid, Erza. You'll go far, mark my words."

Erza couldn't help herself. Isshin, he didn't know, didn't know she had lost everything- every friend, everyone she had gained that mattered…
Without even realizing it happened, tears streamed down her cheeks. She didn't sob, but her shoulders shook and trembled, as she stood there in the hallway, her fists balled.

"E-Erza?" Isshin said, sounding shocked, unsure what to do. Masaki quickly put her arm around Erza, and said,

"Come along here, all right?"
She led Erza into what probably was the living room, and sat her down on the couch, sitting next to her, gently rubbing Erza's shoulder. Isshin had followed, looking stupefied.

"Um," he murmured, "um, did somebody die, or-"

"Isshin, go make tea." Masaki said. Her tone was not sharp, but it was clear that she was not to be disobeyed in this moment.

"R-right," he said, and hastily made his exit.

For a while, Erza simply sat there, her face buried in her hands, her skin wet with tears. Again! She had lost all her friends once, and then she had gained new friends again then watched them die, and now… she had lost them all. Again. It was like having had an arm ripped off, like trying to see without eyes, like trying to run a mile without feet…
Isane had once told her, when they first met in person on her sickbed after the massacre, that she was the kind of person who needed others. That some people did well on their own, and she wasn't one of them. Never before had she seen how right she had been. All her friends, gone- not even dead, but away from her, with a great big wall erected between them- it wasn't as bad as them being dead, but right now, in her misery, it was no comfort at all. Now Masaki, a stranger, was the only one she could lean on- a mortal enemy of the shinigami, rubbing her shoulder, saying comforting little things into her ear, holding her close…
Without regard for petty things like history, grudges, racial divides or different ideologies, Erza leaned into her, taking comfort in being close, just being close to another person who cared- why she did it, or who she was, it didn't matter.

After some time- which could have been hours, as far as she knew, but probably wasn't- she became aware of Isshin sitting across them in a chair, a tray with three steaming mugs of tea standing on a rickety coffee table. He looked uncomfortable, powerless, and it struck Erza that he had probably never had much practice with emotional situations.
Finally, Erza raised her head, and looked him in the eye. She had to look a mess, and she felt terrible, but it was… slightly better now. Just slightly.

"Try a mug," Masaki said softly, giving her a nod, "he makes a good cup. There's honey in it."

Erza nodded slowly, and took a mug, taking a small sip from it. The hot liquid went down her throat, and it felt soothing- nothing like tea to calm you down. After a few more sips, she cautiously spoke, not quite trusting her voice not to crack,
"It's… I've been… I was…" She took a few long, heavy breaths, fighting the urge to break down again.

"That's fine, take your time." Masaki said sweetly.

"Uh, yeah," Isshin murmured.

"…I was kicked out." Erza mumbled at last. "They, they caught me, and I was gonna go on trial for treason…"

"Well, weren't you technically a traitor- OW!" Isshin cried, rubbing the shin of his left leg, and Erza noticed that Masaki's foot had jabbed out, fast and hard under the table.

"Go on when you feel like it," Masaki said calmly. "If he says something stupid again, I'll kick his other leg."

"…geez." Isshin murmured.

Erza let out a small giggle, despite herself, and sniffed. "They found me out. It was… Aizen." She said.
Then she finally told the tale, about how she had been recruited, about how she had had her doubts about the Gotei, how Aizen had promised a better world if she joined him, how she had believed his every word, become his subordinate, intent on destroying the Gotei and rebuilding it, how it had all been for the greater good… how, slowly, she had come to see his ruthless side, how he had no scruples, how he had manipulated her and everyone else, how she had rejected him and been thrown in jail the very next day… how Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tousen was in league with him, how one was a monster and the other a fanatic, how Aizen was responsible for hollow experiments…
Emotion washed over her as she spoke. So much came off her chest; so many fears and doubts she had held for so long. Masaki didn't seem to understand all of it, but her hand stayed around Erza's shoulder. She kept expecting Isshin's face to twist into disgust at her betrayal, that he would interrupt her and tell her off for her treason, call her out, shout at her… but all she saw in his face was surprise, surprised and concern.

"…and that's how I was escaped." Erza mumbled, feeling emotionally exhausted.

"Well, shit," Isshin murmured, looking more than a little shocked. "Aizen? Urahara told me he was a traitor back then, but I didn't know what to believe. He's straight as an arrow. Damn boy scout, that one. That… now that I think about it, always nice and responsible, good at everything he does… he does sound too good to be true, don't he?"

"You believe me?" Erza said weakly.

"You're not a liar." Isshin said simply. "No matter what you are in life, you're not a liar, and what you just told me is the truth as you see it. So… how long has he planned this?"

"…I don't know," Erza mumbled, making a helpless gesture with her hands, "if he wasn't lying, then he's been planning this for centuries."

Isshin nodded. "Damn. And I don't think you could warn the others, huh?"

Erza shook her head, bitterly. "The word of an escaped traitor next to captain perfect? Nobody's going to believe that for a second. Even if they did, he's got… illusions. That's what his zanpakutou does, perfect illusions."

Isshin nodded, and murmured, "Well… damn. We're up shit creek now, aren't we? Or they are, at least."

"I don't know what to do." Erza said, slumping back into the couch. "I just… everything I ever worked for, it's… gone. All my… all my friends…" She choked up again.

"Listen," Masaki said gently, "I don't understand a whole lot of this, and I'm not sure I want to, but your life isn't over. You're strong, I can tell- you can keep going."

"It's not as easy as that." Erza said gloomily. "I can keep going, sure, but I don't know where."

"This town gets lots of hollows." Masaki suggested. "And personally, I am tired of having to drop whatever I'm doing to hunt one down. An extra pair of hands wouldn't hurt."

"Yeah!" Isshin said spiritedly. "You can be like, a protector of the town! Watching over it stoically, defending it against incursions from the wicked. You could be the night! Be justice! Be b- OW!" He cried, rubbing his other shin. Masaki had feet that moved at superhuman speed, it seemed.

"But don't rush it." Masaki said. "You take the time you need. It's not easy moving past something like this. Until then…" She sighed. "Until then, stay here."

"…really?" Erza said, blinking. "You'd let me stay here, just like that?"

"I let this big idiot stay already." Masaki said. "My aunt would kill me if she knew- but then again, that's why I moved out."

"What's the rent?" Erza asked.

"Don't worry about that," Masaki said. "Just stick around, keep your head down and lend a hand when you can, all right?"

"Thanks" Erza said, smiling weakly.

"No problem." Masaki said, standing up and giving Erza a friendly pat on the shoulder. "I'll put out my spare bed. Isshin can sleep on the couch."

"But-" Isshin said, but Masaki gave him a look, and he immediately fell silent. Said and done, Masaki walked out.

"…she's really nice," Erza murmured, sipping at her tea, which was now lukewarm, almost cold.

"I know." Isshin said happily. "It's… life's not so bad with her around."

Erza nodded. "I guess it could be worse."

"Plus," Isshin said with a grin, "I think she likes me."

"I could tell by the way she kicks you." Erza said, her voice perfectly even.

"I know, right?" Isshin said. "Back when I first got here, she kicked much harder. I'm growing on her!"

Despite herself, Erza smiled. She had lost them all, she had been betrayed, but… it could really be worse. She didn't want to imagine the misery of having to do this alone.

That night she barely slept at all, tossing and turning in the bed Masaki had put out. For hours, she lay like that, sweating, her mind racing, her psyche stirred about and shook in a way it never had been before. Finally, toward the wee hours, she had enough. Grabbing Tetsu no Tama, she sat herself up against the wall cross-legged, closed her eyes, and forced herself calm enough to meditate.
It took some time, but soon, she stood in the marble palace, looking up at the golden throne. It was oddly reassuring- for the first time, she did not feel irked at the excessive pomp and glamour of this place, but relief at its familiarity- her world had been torn from her, but here inside her soul, some things remained constant.

"My master." Tetsu no Tama said, standing up, and walking down to greet her. He had taken to doing so recently, rather than look down on her.
"My master, I feel your loss as if it were my own." He said solemnly.

Erza nodded. "Thank you."

"I feel it," he said, "yet I am not as shaken with it. Suffering is an inevitable consequence of being alive. That is why I ask you, now that all you held dear was wrenched from you: what will you do next? Choose your words carefully, my master."

"…I do not know." Erza said simply. She was at peace here, no tears threatening to swell up, no anger overwhelming her, only a cool and quiet sadness.

"Nonsense!" Tetsu no Tama barked. "You do know what you must do next, master. You have options, several paths you could take, and deep down you know which one to take."

"Do I?" Erza said defiantly.

"You do!" The spirit insisted haughtily. "There are so many things you could do. You could leave this life behind, and become this city's protector. You could forget the life you used to lead, and run- you could see the world, explore it, find a new life wherever it suited you. You could forsake all things spiritual. You could rise up against this and resolve that one day, Aizen Sousuke shall feel the taste of my edge. These are all things you can do, my master- but in your heart, you know which one it must be. You know which one your virtue demands- so do not mewl like a meek and powerless coward!"

"…I will not take revenge on Aizen Sousuke." Erza said slowly.

"Will you not?" Tetsu no Tama snarled. "The man is a monster, who took all from you, all you held dear. You would let that stand?"

"I will not take revenge," Erza said carefully. "Vengeance is nothing more than a grudge made into violence. There is no purpose to that. I will not take revenge, Tetsu no Tama- but I will do what is right."

"And what is 'right', Erza?" The spirit boomed. "To stay down, cowardly bow to scum like Aizen, let him become overlord of all creation?"

"To protect the weak!" Erza snapped. "To protect your friends when they cannot protect themselves, to stand up against bullies and tyrants, to use my strength for something more than just gaining power!"

Tetsu no Tama's haughty expression softened, and he smiled contentedly, but Erza was not done.

"I am not done with the Gotei Thirteen," she continued, feeling like a fire was rising in her chest, "nor am I done with Aizen. He told me that they were corrupt- and he is right! So I will do as he said, and believe the impossible to change the world- not for him or his cruel and callous vision, but for them! For Momo, and for Renji, and for Isane and Nozomi and everyone else who is still left there! Because they are still my friends! Even if every last one of them thinks of me as a traitor, even if I lost them all, I will still move forward. One day I will change the entirety of the Gotei thirteen, and I will not let Aizen stand in my way!"

Tetsu no Tama nodded, and said,
"You already did know, my master."

Erza took a few deep breaths. "…I suppose I did." She mumbled. "Yes. I'm not done with Aizen, not by a long shot. But I can't exactly go charging in back, can I? It will take time- many years, probably- but I'm going to get stronger, and find the right opportunity."

"And if your friends come at you as if you were enemy scum to die by your blade? If you find that you must slay Aizen Sousuke?" The spirit said.

"…I won't kill anybody unless there is no other choice left. But… I'll do what I have to. I cannot know how it will go until I am there, and I won't speculate on it and drive myself crazy." Erza said, shaking her head. "No, for now… I'll be staying with the quincy. And even though he's shady, I'll have to make some sort of deal with Urahara eventually. Whatever it takes, Aizen will go down- not because I want to get back at him, but because of what will happen if he isn't dealt with."

"Acceptable." Tetsu no Tama said. "You have a long road ahead, Erza. Yet, you have taken a step forward. Nurse and cultivate the pain you feel, my master- let it serve as a reminder of why you fight."

Erza was no stranger to being awkward. She had always been a savant of violence, yet always challenged by human interaction- but the first few weeks were awkward to an extreme, even without people around her. She was around a hundred years old now, and the better part of that life had been spent as an officer and a fighter- no matter what there had always been things to do, patrols to walk, reports to fill, hollows to hunt, friends to talk to… she had been in charge, a leader among her kind. She had issued orders, she had led people into battle, she had been at the very top of shinigami organization. Her days had been full, so filled to the brim with work that she sometimes wondered how it all had been possible. Being a shinigami, she realized now, was not just a job- it was a lifestyle, a philosophy, an occupation to fill your entire sense of self up.
It was shocking, almost painful, to wake up one day after another with absolutely nothing to do. Aside from the always present pain of having lost her friends, she felt hollow inside- not for having been betrayed or hurt, but for having lost all the practical things that had given her a sense of self-worth. She was not a workaholic, she hadn't lived for her job- but she was practical, and lazing about did not suit her in the slightest.

Though Masaki was a gracious host, supportive of her despite barely knowing her, Erza found herself feeling like a parasite, living in her apartment and eating her food, contributing nothing of value. Sure, there was the odd hollow hunt- but they were few in between compared to the missions she would take in the Gotei Thirteen, and none of them were so challenging Masaki could not have handled them herself. To wake up each day, eat breakfast, and then face a day of nothing at all was crushing. She had not lost the determination she had demonstrated to Tetsu no Tama, but she scarcely knew what to do with herself- she would patrol the town, although to not much avail, and she had to do it while always keeping an eye out for other shinigami. She would not want herself spotted; the things she would have to do if they sent a hunting squad for her…
It was the strangest thing, being among humans again. Once a top ranking officer, now she was just a face in the crowd- a crowd that, almost all of them, could not even see her. She had come from a world of humans, like all shinigami- but this was one different from the one she left, alien and cold, filled to the brim with people but with precious little of the humanity she had felt in Fairy Tail.

Things were silent. Normally, it'd be an awkward silence, but to call it that, here and now, would be the understatement of the century. It was an oppressive, heavy silence, hanging over them like a dark storm cloud about to burst.
Momo had called the meeting, and Renji, Kira and Hisagi had come. But now, here in the back yard of the ninth division, it seemed nobody knew what to say, where to start. The issue was so obvious- Erza was gone, declared a traitor. They were all under investigation for having been her associates. Their careers could be in jeopardy, but that was the least of their concerns.
Erza had been their teacher. Both Renji and Momo thought of her as an older sister, somebody they could trust, rely on no matter what- a role model. She was the shinigami Renji wanted to be. She was the sister Momo always wanted. Now… she was gone. What's worse, all the official sources said there was evidence that, all along, she had sought to betray the Gotei. That Erza, strong, beloved, dependable Erza, was a two-faced lying traitor.

It was all too much to handle.
"…she's innocent, you know." It was Momo who broke the silence at last, her voice quiet, barely more than a whisper.

"Of-fucking-course she is." Renji growled. "Way to state the obvious, huh?"
He was angry, very angry, ready to lash out at anything that made a wrong move.

"Listen," Kira said, his voice subdued, defeated, "nobody is going to say she wasn't good to us. That she wasn't a good person. That she wouldn't do something like that without a good reason-"

"Something like what?!" Momo said, raising her voice a little. "She didn't do it, Kira!"

"Hinamori, I saw the evidence." Kira said quietly. "Stolen blueprints from a rogue scientist she killed. Evidence that she set up the bombs that destroyed the science division. It… it's right there, plain to see-" He looked despairing, his voice strained. He was interrupted, though, by Renji, whose voice was little more than a growl.

"Hey, Kira," he said darkly, "you better shut your fucking mouth. Right now, or I'll break your jaw in so many fucking places, you'll eat from a straw for the rest of your life."

"You can't ignore it, Abarai!" Kira shot back defiantly. "You can turn a blind eye, you and Hinamori, but that won't make it less true!"

"Do you think I was fucking kidding?!" Renji snarled, balling his fists and walking toward Kira. "That's Erza you're talking about, fucking Erza, and if you don't shut the fuck up I'll-"

"Enough!" Hisagi shouted, stepping in between the two. "It doesn't matter what happened-"

"It does!" Momo insisted. "She's innocent, I know she is, and we have to prove it!"

"It doesn't matter!" Hisagi insisted. "It doesn't matter. Right now, what matters is that she's gone. She ran away, and that's the cold hard truth. Whether the evidence is real or not, running away doesn't look good! Now, I don't know- I don't want to think of her as a traitor, but I've no way of knowing- she could be anywhere right now, and we can't ask her. Right now, we have to focus. She's gone, and that's the truth. Nothing we can do about it. Right now, we keep our heads down and do our jobs. And for fuck's sake, we lean on each other instead of fighting, you dullards! That means you, Renji! And you, Kira, show some goddamn sensitivity!"

Renji and Kira both glared at him, but stayed quiet.

"I still believe in her." Momo said quietly.

"That's all right." Hisagi said. "Me, I don't know what to believe. We need to look to the future, not dwell on the past."

"I'm not forgetting!" Renji snapped.

"Me either!" Hisagi said. "But don't let this fuck you up, okay? If you believe in her, then be what she'd want you to be."

"…fine." Renji grumbled sullenly.

"And you, Hinamori," Hisagi said, "you may wanna keep that on the down low. You may be a vice-captain, but people don't take kindly to people believing in traitors- alleged traitors, that is." He said, changing the wording as he saw Momo's expression.
"For now, just…" He sighed. "Just remember her as she was to you, and keep going. That's what she'd want, I'm sure."

The silence came back, and eventually, they dispersed. There was no peace to be had, but at the very least they had their minds a bit clearer.

Although lost and down on her luck, even with the weight of uselessness hanging over her, Erza was practically minded. She had a new world to live in, and she had to adapt. She would make her way here, for as long as it took. That meant blending in as a human, and pulling her weight.
That first order of business, blending in, meant paying Urahara Kisuke a visit. It grated on her to do so, but unfortunately he seemed to have a monopoly on practical gadgets like those- and, if Masaki were to be believed, quite a few other things. From what she gathered, he was every bit as shady as he seemed, but always too necessary for anybody to object. She resented being indebted to him- he had been right about Aizen, and it may well have been that he was innocent of treason, but that made him no less untrustworthy in Erza's eyes. She did not want to owe him money, or favours- she had had quite enough of owing something to untrustworthy, manipulative bastards.

But reality, of course, was that she didn't have much of a choice. If she wanted a gigai, to fit in among the people as one of their own, then to Urahara's shop she had to go.
So it was that, after having decided that two weeks was enough time to wallow in self-pity, Erza found herself outside his store. The bespectacled, muscular man stood waiting for her, and wordlessly pulled the door open, motioning for her to come inside. Somewhat suspiciously, one hand on Tetsu no Tama's scabbard, Erza stepped inside. When last she had been here, Erza had spent most of her time in a room near Isshin's. Now, it all looked so strangely different- familiar, but different, with the daylight shining in on the shelves, full of petty goods- goods that she suspected were there only for show. Urahara himself stood behind the counter, lazily leaned over it, a grin on his face.

"Why, miss Scarlet!" He said cheerily, as she slowly walked up to him. "What brings you to my humble store?"

"I need something, and you're the only one who can get it for me." Erza said bluntly. "I've no interest in playing games- I have come here because I need a gigai. What will it cost me?"

Urahara sighed theatrically, and said, "Has anyone ever told you that you suck the fun out of things? A gigai, yes… a gigai, that we can arrange. But those are expensive… extensive man hours assembling complex parts, all put together with a positively brilliant scientific method… why yes, they are quite costly. What's a humble shop-keep to do, just hand them out?"

"I said, no games." Erza said firmly. "What will it cost me? I don't have any money- not yet. I can't make any either, not without looking human. The only thing I can offer is myself- and not in that sort of way." She said the last part sharply.

"What sort of way?" Urahara said innocently. "I have no idea what you are talking about, miss Scarlet. You must have a very dirty mind, making all these assumptions about innocent store owners."

"You are anything but innocent, you scoundrel." Erza said, furrowing her brows. "Will you do it or not? I won't get down on my knees and beg- tell me what I must do, and-"

Urahara snapped his fingers, and a door opened to the side of the room. Out stepped a replica of herself, although slightly different-looking, wearing simple modern clothes- a T-shirt, jeans, and a pair of brown leather shoes. Her hair, Erza noticed, was shorter, and a dark shade of brown instead.
"I started working on it the morning after you arrived," Urahara said, shrugging casually as if he hadn't set this up for dramatic effect, "as a side project, for my amusement. You would eventually need one, and where else would you get one?"

"…that makes sense." Erza said cautiously, examining the gigai up close. It looked her in the eye, and said,
"Hello!"

"And that would be the mod soul I am using to keep it moving whenever you would be out of it." Urahara said. "I modelled her to look like you- only a bit more… Japanese. You don't exactly look like you are from around here- so I took some liberties."

"I have no problem with that." Erza said, nodding. "What will it cost me? Like I said, I have no money."

"Miss Scarlet," Urahara said smoothly, walking out from behind the counter, holding his cane up, "I am a businessman. Yes, you have no money. But like you said, you can make no money without it. This gigai? It is yours. Consider it an investment."

"No strings attached?" Erza said suspiciously.

"Oh, strings are attached all over it," Urahara said cheerily. "I will not expect money for it. An appropriate price would require the salary of, say, the CEO of a major company. You, with no professional education, wouldn't make an iota's worth of that, if you managed to land a job. Human currency has limited use to me, anyhow. No, what's important is having an associate to call upon- somebody powerful, talented, with lots of potential. You will owe me favours, Erza- quite a few. If I need an errand run, you will run it posthaste, no matter how small it will seem."

"I won't do anything that's wrong," Erza said, looking him in the eye.

Urahara looked back, a glimmer in his eye. "Five years. Five years of servitude, and I will consider this paid in full. Mind you, I won't have you slave away in the shop- I have that covered already. Errands, of a kind that require competent muscle, that is what I will need you for. And no, I will not abuse or manipulate you. You stood up to Aizen, of all people- what luck would I have?" His grin went away, and with a serious tone, he said, "You do not trust me, Erza Scarlet, and you are right to do so. You are stuck in a strange world, and trusting strangers is foolish. I am not a saint by any means, but I am not Aizen, and I will not ask anything of you that you would find morally objectionable- mostly because you would probably refuse. But at the end of the day, I am not a harsh taskmaster, or a bad man to work with. Don't think of this as indentured servitude- think of it as a partnership."

"You talk a good deal," Erza said, scowling. "So did Aizen, and he was more convincing than this. But… for now, I'll take your offer. But if anything seems off…"

"Then the deal is also off!" Urahara said cheerily. He extended his hand. "To the future, miss Scarlet."

Hesitantly, she took his hand, and shook it.

"Well, go on then," Urahara said with a smile. "Try it on. It's yours."

Two minutes later, Erza walked out of the shop, looking very much like a Japanese citizen. In her pockets were papers, ID documents naming her Eruza Sukaretto, complete with information on her supposed date of birth, hometown, and even a certificate of having graduated eighteen years' worth of schooling- she wasn't quite sure how the education system worked in this country. She'd have to figure that out later. At any rate… she was good to go.

Finding work, though, was not exactly easy. It wasn't like she had no experience with being human- eighty odd years ago she had been alive, doing work and earning money. But this world was… different. There were no mage's guilds, and no monsters to slay for pay, or the many odd jobs that required mages. In this time, in this world, you had to have papers proving you existed, and you had to have papers proving you had gone to school… and if you hadn't gone to school long enough, you couldn't get anything but the lowest jobs. It was frustrating. She had been a powerful, adventurous mage, and after dying, she had been a military officer. This world seemed to have no need for either one.
Directly after receiving her gigai, she had started searching. She had applied to work at stores, wherever they could be found, and had been turned down seven times before lunch. She had applied for part time jobs. She had even tried her luck in a bar, where there was an opening for a bouncer- a job that she could actually do, and do well. But the owner had taken one look at her, and laughed- they needed big, strong men, he had explained, not women. It had taken some restraint not to punch him when he suggested that maybe she could work as a server if she put on a miniskirt.
Human life was hard. Obnoxious, even. She had faith in herself, she knew she was talented and strong- but Japan did not seem to share her belief. It was nearly evening when she at last sat down on a bench in Karakura, having been turned down more times than she cared to count- thirty, at least?

Then, as if by providence, she saw a kid walking out from a building down the street, with a big grin on his face. He carried a practice sword, an unmistakable item for her. Intrigued, she stood up, and walked down toward the building he had left. As she came closer, she saw a big sign, saying
'TATEWAKI DOJO'

A dojo. A place to learn sword fighting. She took a closer look. It wasn't the most impressive thing- it was a locale squeezed in between a sushi shop and a shoe store, its sign looking a bit worn. Would there be a place for her there? Probably not. Would she try? Yes.
Decisively, she opened the door, and walked in. Although the exterior had not been impressive, the inside looked decent- it was roomy, well lit, and past the small entry hall was a large room, filled with mats, with sword stands and protective equipment, everything you needed for kendo practice. Half the room was filled with boys, probably no older than twelve, practicing with their swords, doing one swing after the other under the instruction of their sensei. It looked all right, but she saw room for improvement- the kids seemed all right, but with proper instruction, they could be really good.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Erza looked around, to see a middle-aged man, wearing a kimono with the dojo's logo on it. "I don't believe we've met. Are you here to pick up your son? Or little brother, perhaps?"

"Oh, not at all," Erza said. "I was just curious. It's a decent place, this."

"Thank you, ma'am," The man said, nodding. "We try our best to make this the best dojo in Karakura. We provide practice for children ages eight to twelve, as well as teenagers and young adults. Are you interested in taking it up? It's a fine hobby, even for girls. Teaches you discipline, gumption, all the things a man- er, person needs to succeed in life."

Erza stopped herself from laughing. "I'm looking for work, actually. You seem a bit short-handed, and… well, I'm pretty good at sword-play, and I have experience teaching."

"You?" The man said, frowning. "No disrespect, ma'am, but what would you know-"

"I am willing to bet I know more than most here." Erza said. Realizing that might come off as arrogant, she added, "No offense."

"You are a strange one." The man said, almost scowling now. "But I'm afraid we have no openings. Business is slow, the economy isn't what it should be, and so on. I'm sure you know how it is."

"Try me." Erza said firmly, balling her fists. "Your best. Against me, right now. If he can land one hit on me, I'll leave and you won't hear from me again. If I win… you give me a job."

"That's not how it works!" The man snapped. "I am in charge of this dojo, and I hire based on competence in teaching, not just sword fighting- and there's no room in our budget!"

"Come now, old man," said a younger man, approaching the two, a helmet in one hand and a sword in the other, "if she wants to try, let her. Could be a fun distraction, right?"
He was young- old enough to have graduated a professional school, but much younger. Tall and muscular, he exuded confidence- he was probably their best.

"I'll be more than a distraction." Erza said. "I'll fight you- or anyone else."

"I'm Seiji." He said, smiling and extending his hand.

Erza shook it, with some hesitance. "Erza Scarlet." She said.

"Have it your way," the older man grumbled. "You can't help but chase after anything in a skirt- but I'm not promising anything."

"Well, there you go," Seiji said cheerily. "Get suited up, and I'll meet you out there in the hall. It'll be a good opportunity for the kids to learn something."

Erza nodded, and a few minutes later, she stood on a mat out in the hall, wearing the full suit of protective padding, a helmet covering most of her face. The children had stopped practicing, all of them looking at the two of them, whispering excitedly. Erza stood ready, holding a simple bamboo sword up in a basic stance.

"All right, kids," Seiji said, "this lady here says she is very good. I don't know if she's telling the truth- maybe she is. Either way, I want you to pay attention." He looked directly at Erza. "I won the regional championships twice before I started teachings, and I never heard of anybody on a professional level named Erza Scarlet. You better be as good as you say, because I won't hold back even if you're a girl."

"Just go." Erza said coldly. The only possible restraint here was her gigai- she couldn't move as fluently in it as she could inside her soul-body, but even then, she could read Seiji pretty well.

"All right," he said. Quickly, he stepped forward, with a quick, decisive swing coming down on her- and before he knew what had happened, Erza had sidestepped, and stabbed her sword forward, hitting him square in the chest.

"Point to the challenger!" The manager called out.

"Well… that happened." Seiji said confusedly. "Try again?"

"Just a fluke, I'm sure," Erza said, keeping a neutral tone. She was not one for gloating. Again, they took their stances. This time, Erza took the initiative, surging forward with speed. Seiji tried to parry and counterattack, but Erza was too quick, her sword batting his aside, hitting him over the head.

"Damn," Seiji muttered, sounding a bit annoyed, "you're… faster than you look."

"Two times is nothing." Erza said dismissively. "Again."

"Have it your way," he said, taking a stance, looking far more cautious now. Erza simply took the initiative, surging forward. Seiji parried once, twice, and almost had an opportunity to strike- but Erza caught his sword, directed it into the floor, and whacked him over the shoulder.

"Three to one for the challenger!" The manager said.

"Three times is nothing, right?" Seiji said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Correct." Erza said. This was not fair, not even slightly, but sparing his feelings was not a priority compared to not having to relive the kind of rejection she had faced today. Again they took a stance, and again it repeated- four, five, six, seventeen times, until the manager finally called for her to stop. Seiji had not come close to hitting her even once.

"What the hell…" He murmured irritably, as they took their helmets off.

"You lean your right foot forward a little too far." Erza said matter-of-factly. "You like a wide, quick swing downward, to either incapacitate your opponent right away, or set yourself up for a counterattack. The problem is that you project your intent very clearly, and any experienced fighter could read it and counter appropriately. The difference in skill isn't even what lost you this fight."

"I should call you 'sensei', huh?" Seiji said, dropping the sword to the floor. "And here I thought I was good at this…"

"You are, for your age." Erza said. "I'm better."
She sighed. "It was not my intention to humiliate you. However, I do not like to hold myself back."

"No, I understand," Seiji said.

"Well, I'll be damned! I've never seen Seiji get trashed like that," The manager said, now with a grin on his face. He extended his hand, and Erza shook it firmly. "Name's Tatewaki Shiro, manager and owner of this place. Seems like you made an impression." He gestured with his thumb at the children, who were looking wide-eyed at her, whispering among themselves. "Why don't you get the training gear off, and come with me?"

Erza nodded, took the training clothes off, and followed Tatewaki into his office- a small, rather Spartan room, with an equally humble desk, and a couple of simple chairs to sit on.

"I'll get right down to business," Tatewaki said, "that was a damn good show, and we could benefit from that sorta talent. Thing is, I can't pay you a whole lot- you're not gonna make rent on this stuff."

"I don't need a lot," Erza said. "I'll work hard, too. And if business gets better and I do well, you could always give me a raise."

"Right down to business as I said, huh?" Tatewaki said, with a small grin. "You got yourself a deal. Come here next Monday, bring your qualifications, and we'll sign a temporary contract. See how it goes."

"Qualifications. Right." Erza said, nodding. She'd have to stop by Urahara's again… "You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Tatewaki."

A couple of weeks passed, and Erza found herself adjusting fairly well. Teaching children was nostalgic- at times, she felt deeply moved, remembering what it had been like teaching her juniors, the friends they had become… mostly, she was just glad to have a job she could enjoy. The pay was quite modest, just as the manager had said, but Erza had never been a big spender to begin with- she gave almost all of her wage to Masaki, who would protest each time. Erza didn't need it, aside from the bare necessities of food.
But as time passed, she realized she could not neglect her training. She did mean, after all, to reach bankai, to gain great strength and, some day far down the line, make her return… and to that end, she had to train.
This realization was followed by another, more irritating realization- that the only person she could turn to was Urahara Kisuke. The man himself did not irk her so much as the fact that he seemed to have a monopoly in matters spiritual, and each time she turned to him, she would owe him more…
She had considered turning to the quincies, but if Masaki was to be believed, the few remaining hated shinigami- and most of everyone- with a passion, and she would be lucky to walk away peacefully if she approached them.

Beggars could not be choosers. If she could hurt, fight, bleed, almost die several times over in the name of her beliefs, as she had in her time in the Gotei, then she could ask Urahara Kisuke for help. It was just that, well, almost dying was a lot easier on her pride than this. So it was that, with a bit of frustration, she turned up at the Urahara shop's front one Saturday morning.
Of course, as luck would have it, nobody answered the door. Grunting in frustration, Erza walked round the back, checking the windows- nobody seemed to be in. After five minutes of annoyed searching, she slumped down on the front porch, resigning herself to a wasted day. What rotten luck- how would she advance, if she had nobody to spar with, to challenge her? With time, she would get weaker- strength needed to be exercised, lest it would wane.
She saw a black cat sitting a few yards down, just by the porch, licking its paw.

"Huh. I didn't figure Urahara for a cat person." Erza said. She sat quietly for a bit, then said, "I wish I was a cat. All I'd have to worry about is keeping my fur neat and clean, and where to find a piece of fish to eat…"

"It is quite overrated," The cat said. Erza was surprised; she hadn't heard cats talk in a very long time- but it brought back memories, memories of talking cats, adventures in Fiore… Happy the cat had been quite the talker, and he was certainly not human. Talking cats was not really unusual- but it was unexpected.

"Is it now?" Erza replied. "You look content as you are."

"I am, yes," the cat said. "And for the record, I prefer quality grade cat food over fish. And cream. Fish is for simpletons." It turned its head to look at her, and it looked as if it would frown, had it the face of a human.

"Oh, I see, mister Cat," Erza said, leaning back against the wall.

"You are not surprised." The cat said. "That is a disappointing first. Usually, people at least have the courtesy to widen their eyes in shock. A talking cat isn't something you see every day, is it?"

"Not for many years, no," Erza said. "What's your name, mister Cat?"

"I am Yoruichi." The cat said, raising one of its hind legs, scratching its ear. "I suppose you are here looking for Kisuke?"

"I was, yes," Erza said, letting out a sigh. "Looks like I am out of luck, though…"

"He is a fickle and silly man," the cat said, with a mild, chastising scorn Erza recognized as that of somebody who could only be a friend- good friends treated each other with kindness, but the best of friends could insult each other like it was nothing.
"He runs little errands now and then, doing lord knows what sort of shady business." The cat- Yoruichi- said. "He could be back in an hour, or in two days… you never know."

"That's too bad. So… how do you know him?"

"Longtime friends." Yoruichi said, her tone indicating the verbal equivalent of a shrug. "You must be that new potential he has running errands for him. I noticed clearly that you were not human, of course. I may not be a scientist, but I know a gigai when I see one, and I sense your energy- well kept, but not well enough."

"You really are knowledgeable, mister Yoruichi," Erza said. "Well… I better get going, I suppose."

"If I did not know better, I would think you either the most cynical, disillusioned spirit I ever met, or plain dumb," Yoruichi said, sounding amused. "A talking cat, and no reaction in sight…"

"Where I come from, we had talking cats." Erza said plainly. "Several of them. I'm not… I'm not of this world, actually. I don't know how, but I never lived and died on this earth before passing."

"Now that is interesting." The cat said, walking over to her, looking at her closely. "So what brought you here?"

"Nothing you could help me with, I think," Erza said. "I need somewhere to train… I need to get stronger."

"They all say that." Yoruichi said dismissively. "I hate to break it to you, but Kisuke is not exactly the training type."

"It's the only place I have to go," Erza said, shrugging. "And if I don't even try… well, there's nothing worse than giving up without even trying."

"You have gumption, I will give you that," the cat said. "So you think I cannot help you?"

Erza looked at the cat, seated next to her, and said,
"No, I'm afraid not."
This really was a curious animal, she had to admit. There were no talking cats in this world that she knew of; magic seemed not to exist at all outside the spiritual realm. But then again, the world was a vast place that she didn't know very well, and there was no reason to question it that she could think of.
Then, suddenly, interrupting her pondering, the cat began to glow. Startled, Erza moved back a little, nearly falling over, as the cat's mass turned into pure light, seeming to expand, and…
There was a mist clearing quickly, and in its place stood a fully grown woman, beautiful and with purple hair- and, it became obvious as the smoke cleared, wearing no clothes whatsoever.

Then, it clicked.
"Purple hair?" Erza said. "Wait- you're that Yoruichi? Shihoin Yoruichi?"

"Glad to see I am still remembered." Yoruichi said, grinning and sitting down cross-legged next to Erza, seeming unconcerned with her own nakedness. She was a strange sort- then again, so was Erza herself.

"As a traitor, mostly," Erza mumbled. "But I guess you were the one who saved Urahara from execution, right? Commander of the stealth corps, and all that…"

"You're not dumb, I'll give you that," Yoruichi said cheerily. "But I'll say the jury is still out on being cynical. A talking cat, which on top of that transforms into a naked woman? What does it take to shock you, Erza Scarlet?"

"Maybe it'd have worked better if I had been a guy?" Erza said, smiling uneasily.

"Somehow, I doubt even that." Yoruichi said. "Training, you said… well, Kisuke does keep a very extensive cellar you could use. Plenty of space to get rough, even if you were captain level."

"You should spar with me." Erza said spiritedly. "You were a captain, once- I could learn a lot from you! And not to beat my own drum, but I think you could learn something fighting me, too."

"Oh?" Yoruichi said, sounding skeptical. "Thanks for the offer, but… that was a long time ago. Nearly a hundred years, actually. Now, I'm just a cat slash naked lady, getting by one day at a time."

"That must be terribly boring," Erza said. "Don't you want to liven things up? Remember how good it felt to use your body?"

"You know, I think like that sometimes," Yoruichi said, the grin on her face fading away a little, "and then I remembered how nicolas cage-awfully stressful being a captain was. Running a whole division, and the intelligence unit as well? That's an ulcer waiting to happen. Everyone is so uptight, so boring… frankly, I have no regrets about leaving. Best decision of my life. Every day's a vacation day."

"No regrets at all?" Erza said. Maybe it were true, but she didn't believe it. She had felt nothing but regret, and unless Yoruichi had hated everyone she knew, there would be people- just like Erza- left behind.

"Well, almost none," Yoruichi said, her voice glib. "But I must decline. Very busy, you see."

"Finding some canned tuna?"

"Exactly that!" Yoruichi said, with an enthusiastic nod, "so if you'll excuse me…"

"Well, you could do that…" Erza said. "You can spend every day drinking cream, eating tuna, and treating all of life as a vacation… but you were a captain, and you did good, as far as I could tell. Nobody goes that far without drive. Without competence. Nobody gets that good without having at least a little pride in what they do." Seeing the look on Yoruichi's face, turning less tolerantly jovial by the moment, she hastily added, "now, I don't know you, but if it were me, I'd want to keep that part of me alive. The one that made me proud. You were in charge of the stealth unit, and you taught the one who leads it now. You're an expert martial artist, aren't you? Isn't that something you were proud of?"

Erza looked at her tentatively, wondering if she had gone too far, if she had been presumptuous, if she had offended her… what did she know, after all?
"Oh, for crying out loud…" Yoruichi murmured, staring into the sky. "I suppose it does get boring sometimes… there's no need for you to make some big, dramatic speech like we were in some movie about an idealistic rookie seeking out a retired veteran, okay?"

"Uh, sure," Erza said, not quite sure what Yoruichi meant.

"Well good, because I'm not going to be your Obi-Wan," Yoruichi said. "But… well, I suppose I could show you a few stretches. Nothing fancy. I'm just staying in shape, and if you join in… well, I won't stop you. We'll see where that leads. All right?"

"All right," Erza said.

Yoruichi stood up. "Well, let's get inside. I've got a hell of a cellar to show you…"

In the end, they did a lot more than just stretch. Yoruichi, clothes or none, was quite the martial artist after all.

Time passed in a flash. After three years, Masaki and Isshin were married- he had been right; she really did like him. After four, they had a baby on the way. Exactly how that worked, Erza wasn't sure- Urahara had to be quite the expertly builder when it came to gigai.
Life- afterlife- was funny that way. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, it had been five years of human life, and Erza was on her way to the hospital, wearing a gigai, holding Masaki's hand, which was squeezing hers desperately though the birth cramps. Isshin himself was driving a car, and had a manic look about him. Erza presumed it was a new father kind of thing, although she wouldn't exactly know.
One maddening drive later, they had arrived at the hospital, Masaki had been wheeled off to a birthing room, surrounded by nurses and doctors, and Erza and Isshin had been shown to a waiting room.

Isshin looked jittery, like he was about to explode at any moment, his hands nervously running through his hair non-stop.

"Calm down," Erza said, although she suspected it would take a pretty heavy dose of medical drugs for him to relax at this point.

"I'm- I'm fine," Isshin insisted. "It's uh, just a, um, a lot to take in. You know?"

"I can imagine." Erza said, nodding. "It's not every day your first child is born."

"You don't have to stay, you know," Isshin mumbled. "I'm sure you got, y'know, kids to teach swordfighting and such."

"I'm not going anywhere." Erza said resolutely. "The kids can wait. If the dojo head has a problem with that, to hell with him. This is more important. Besides, you'd break down without me." She said, smiling and giving him a pat on the back.

"…thanks." He murmured. "I'm uh, I'm just gonna go out the hall and pace back and forth frantically, okay?"

"I'll get some coffee." Erza said, and nodded.

The wait was long- it seemed like it took ages to Erza, and she could only imagine how long it must have felt for Isshin. They had arrived in the evening, and it was well into the wee hours when the doctor came out, announcing that Kurosaki Masaki had given birth to a healthy baby boy, without complications. Isshin was beside himself with joy, and immediately rushed off to see his wife. Erza did not follow- she was close to them both, but that should be a moment just between the two of them, a father meeting his son for the first time…
But even in her gigai, she could sense the baby. In the womb, close as he was to his mother, it had been difficult- but now born, she could feel his soul blaze and burn, powerful, like a beacon… born to a shinigami and a quincy, of course he would be strong from the beginning- he had won the genetic lottery. But the thing about beacons was that they attracted flies…
After catching a few hours of sleep, she got her phone up, and called her boss to take a week off. He wouldn't be happy, but she was in good enough standing that she wouldn't get fired. Even if she did, this was more important- Isshin was powerless and Masaki was still recovering, and if something attacked… it would be up to her and her alone to do something about it. The mere thought of such happiness turned on its head by the wicked hand of a hollow… no, she would not let that be a risk.

A day passed, two days. She talked with Masaki, kept her company. She was exhausted, naturally, but Erza had never seen her happier. Her baby was a lively sort, with a small mop of orange hair- an unusual colour here in Japan. She had named him "Ichigo", an unusual name too.
Then, on the third day, it happened. In the evening, she felt a tremor across the spiritual particles of the town- it was a rift opening, a portal from Hueco Mundo. At first she thought it was just a normal hollow, and remained where she was, just outside Masaki's room. There were quincies in this town; let them handle it- Masaki and her little boy, her Ichigo, were more important.
But then she felt it, really felt it. It were no ordinary hollow- its reiatsu was thick and strong, emanating from its source with a power she knew was extraordinary. It had to be at least an Adjuchas- and it was coming closer, heading their way. Immediately, Erza grabbed the little pill Urahara had once given her from her pocket, and swallowed it. At once she popped out from the fake body, and drew her swords. It was possible one or two people in the hospital might see her; this place was lousy with spiritually aware humans- but it was the furthest thing from Erza's mind at the moment. Concentrating her hardest, she was keenly aware of her surroundings- exactly where the energy was coming from, what point of entry it might choose… she suppressed her own reiatsu as far as she could- the gigai would have masked it, and the element of surprise was nothing to scoff at. For minutes that felt like hours, she stood there, sword at the ready, waiting for the smallest hint that it might come at her.

Then she saw it down the hall. As if in slow motion, she saw two bony hands grab hold of a window-side, and in a smooth movement, the shape of a hollow had pulled itself inside, nearly jumping in. It had a triangular head, its mask protruding forward in a pointed edge. Its eyes glowed a menacing yellow, and it had a short tail moving about as if it had a mind of its own, and long, gangly legs and arms with little jagged spikes on them, and it stood no taller than Erza- small for a hollow, which would only mean one thing.

"Vasto Lorde." Erza mumbled to herself. Shit!

Carelessly, the creature strode down the hall, and Erza could feel a chill run down her spine. She had fought Halibel many a time, but Halibel had never wanted to kill her- and she had always won, still.
The hollow saw her, and walked forward slowly. Its feet were three-toed, and its fingers looked like a collection of thin, sharp knives when they moved. Up close it looked spider-like, like an insect given the shape of a man. It stopped a few meters before her, as if it had only noticed her just now.

"Ah." It said, its voice smooth and menacing. "Bright red hair. Ample bosoms. A shinigami's uniform. A fierce and steely expression. I believe you are known to me… Erza Scarlet." He let out a low, slow chuckle. "The one who saw Lord Aizen's glory and rejected it. How interesting that you should be here, barring my way. I am Aguerra Mantisse."
He bowed deeply, holding one thin arm across his chest.

"Vasto Lorde!" Erza snarled. "What brings you here?"

"Need you ask?" Aguerra said. "Naturally, I come for the child in the room behind you. A shinigami/quincy hybrid? The potential as a research subject, I am told, is immense."

"Over my dead body." Erza said fiercely.

"That can be arranged." Aguerra said, taking a step forward, raising an arm.

"One thing, though," Erza said, her blade wordlessly shifting into its shikai state, ready to shift shape at any moment,

"Yes?" Aguerra said, seeming less than concerned, as if she was some simple obstacle to move past without much trouble.

"Aizen respected my strength," Erza said, her sword held high and her eyes peeled on the hollow, checking for any shift in movement, any sign that it would attack, "and as such, I will not be killed easily. If we both let loose, then chances are that this whole building might get razed. You don't give a damn about human lives, I'm sure, but I don't think you will want to risk your prize being injured or even killed by accident."

Aguerra nodded slowly and thoughtfully. "A persuasive argument," he said, every word spoken slowly and with deliberation. "Very well, then. Let us go elsewhere."
In a flash, he sped off, out the hallway and through the window in the blink of an eye. Quickly, Erza followed suit, slipping into a shunpo. Damn it all! This would not be easy, not by any means- that was a Vasto Lorde, a hollow of the highest order… she might die fighting it. Aizen must have wanted this prize- Ichigo- badly. Masaki and he were sleeping so peacefully… and she would not let them be woken by a monster like that, not for as long as she drew breath.

After a mile or so, the monster stopped, standing in the ground, its arms raised in a mocking gesture, telling her to come at it. Erza landed in front of it- but refusing to face it on the ground, she jumped far up in the air, where she stayed. Shrugging, Aguerra followed suit, standing level with her a good fifty meters above the ground.

"Far, far off where you will hurt no human, even if you die." He said, his tone mostly apathetic, but also a little amused. "This strange weakness, I will never understand."

"I don't think you will, no." Erza said, scowling. "But I'm not here to talk. Give me your worst, you wretched beast, and I will throw it back at you tenfold."

"Ah, such harsh words, and with true determination behind them, too." Aguerra said, and he opened his mouth, revealing triple rows of pointed teeth. "I can see why Lord Aizen respected you."
In an instant, he shot forward, faster than even Erza's eyes could follow. By instinct alone, she caught his sharp, bony fingers on one hand with her blade, but the other hand slid past her guard, stabbing right into her gut. She spat blood, and let out a wheezing cough.

"Disappointing." Aguerra said, twisting the knife-like fingers he had buried in her gut.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Erza growled, almost screamed, and kicked the beast in the chest, sending him back. She limped, forcing herself to stay upright, as Tetsu no Tama shifted into two blades. It hurt- damn he had been fast! But she had hurt worse and still kept going- she was a shinigami, and she could take it.
Letting out a lout battle cry, she leaped forward, spinning around, furiously lashing out at Aguerra. She cut, slashed, moving her arms with all the speed she was capable of, turning into a whirlwind of deadly force that no ordinary hollow could have stood against. But Aguerra was no ordinary hollow- he was Vasto Lorde, and parried her every strike, catching each one neatly, every blow glancing off his bony hands.

"Valiant effort, but boring," he said, catching her two blades with one arm, and readied the other for a stabbing motion. Erza dodged under the attack, and in an instant her blades changed into one, the black greatsword Render. Roaring out again, she struck forward, cleaving downwards at the hollow. Effortlessly, he caught it with both arms crossed, although Erza could see a splinter of bone dropping to the ground.

"Still dull," he said, sounding unimpressed.

"DRAGON STRIKE!" Erza roared, and the energy charged through her blade, hitting Aguerra point blank. Exploding with thunderous force, it sent him flying, down toward the ground. It did not last, however- within seconds he had recovered, and willed himself up, toward her at furious speed. But there was a scar across his chest, cut right into his bony body… he was not invincible, not by any means.

"Better!" Aguerra cried, finally sounding less than bored. "Better, shinigami- but not nearly enough!"
He launched himself at her, arms spread and ready to unleash a cyclone of knives upon her. Time slowed; she had less than a second to react, but still everything felt perfectly clear. Her weapon had shifted into Breaker, the bearded axe, and like a batter facing a ball, she raised it and swiped at the hollow, just as he came at her. It came down with tremendous force- but Aguerra was not so simply beaten, and caught the hilt of her ace before it could connect with one arm, and stabbed out with his free hand. Erza ducked, bending herself backward, and immediately let her weapons shift form again, again becoming the twin swords. Working on pure instinct, she parried strike after strike, each second counting at least a dozen attacks. Halibel's training had served her well- her senses were sharp and her body fit, but even so she only barely avoided being cut. Taking the offensive, the hollow drove her back, attacking with relentless, vicious speed, his movements a complete blur. It was only a question of time- she had to get away, break off and-
But then he finally slid through her guard. Her blades had gone high for a split second, and with his long, bony fingers he caught them both with one hand, twisted them down and away, and slashed her with his free hand, cutting straight across her chest. She didn't even have time to gasp with pain; she had to just barely parry a strike aimed at her neck. Aguerra spun around, lashing out with his tail, sending her flying. Erza landed on her feet, panting.

"Not nearly enough." Aguerra said contemptuously. "Lord Aizen shall reward me when I bring him your head."

Erza was breathing heavily. She had been stabbed in five places, and now cut- her uniform was torn in several places, and blood was gushing from the cuts under her shihakusho. It had been shallow, lucky enough, but he was fast- not so fast she couldn't fight him, but just enough so that she couldn't keep up. If this went on, he'd score one hit after the other, until she bled out…

"Do you think I am done, monster?" Erza said, letting her reiatsu rise.

"There is fight in you yet." He remarked. "No, I suspect you are not. Had I the time, I would play with you for quite a while- see what exactly makes you scream. Peel off your skin, cut off a finger at a time, watch you try and fight without arms, without legs…" He let out a dry laugh, one that could almost have been mistaken for a cough. "Fortunately for you, Lord Aizen's trust means more. I will finish this, then gain his favour. That child shall become his greatest soldier- I only regret you will not live to feel the pain of seeing that happen."

Erza's reiatsu was spiking, at the highest output she could let out.
"I'll die before that happens." She growled. "But I'd rather you died first."

"Power will not help you." Aguerra said bemusedly, flexing his claws. "Is this some last, mad dash? A singular assault with everything on the line? It will not help you- I am faster and stronger than you."

"I told you," Erza growled, her voice turning to a roar as she spoke, "you haven't seen anything yet! BANKAI!"

"Patience, master." Said Tetsu no Tama. The two of them were sitting cross legged, outside the palace, beneath the tree she had once climbed up to. For years now, she had done all he asked- stayed true to herself, mastered her own power, learned his personality… she was on the cusp of unlocking that last piece, of finally gaining the greatest power of them all. The years she had spent in exile had not been in vain.

"I have shown nothing but patience." Erza said calmly. Any sign of frustration or irritation would upset her blade's spirit, she knew- he would take it as a sign of immaturity and weakness. "I will sit here for an eternity, if I must."

"So you will." The spirit said, nodding. "Tell me, Erza, what is my second name?"

"Tell me yourself." Erza said. It was much subtler than it seemed- she said it not out of demand, but to get a rise out of him, make him be the one to lose control. He knew it, she knew it; it was a game they had played for some time now.

"You know my name, in your heart," said Tetsu no Tama. "Deep down, it has always been there, buried like an old memory. All you have to do is find it. But for all your efforts, you have not. Are you not a failure, my weak and cowardly master?"
Another poke, without any genuine sentiment of spite or resentment.

"Failure is surrender. Victory lies not in overwhelming force, but in the ability to be beaten down a hundred times, and get up on one's feet a hundred and one times."

"So say the beaten cowards." Tetsu no Tama said calmly. "But perhaps I say that only those with pure strength are worthy."

"Then you lie." Erza said. Word games- out of all the trials left, word games was what he had chosen- frustrating like nothing else, yet essential. He had tested her strength; now he tested her wisdom.

"I do?" Tetsu no Tama said. His voice, always so quick to taking offense in the past, was calm and level.

"You are power." Erza said. "And you know there is more substance to your being than raw strength. You know full well that power is not just strength of arm, but knowing how and when to use it."

"Not incorrect," he said, "but are you speaking your heart's belief, or merely parroting what you expect I shall want to hear?"

"You once told me," Erza said, refusing to address his provocation, "that I should stop expecting reality to suit my ideals."

"You were most foolish and naïve, yes," the spirit said casually. "You may still be."

"At the time, I thought you meant that I should be less idealistic. That I should compromise on my beliefs, let go on them for the sake of pragmatism. That you wished for me to be a cynic."

"As I said: naïve and short-sighted."

"Always you spoke in riddles, expecting me to find out myself. You have been a harsh taskmaster."

"As I should be."

"But I know now what you meant, Tetsu no Tama." She looked him in the eye, confidence in her voice.

"I am all ears." He said, sounding quietly sarcastic.

"Lofty ideals may sound good and well," Erza said, laying out her explanation slowly and cautiously, "after all, who does not believe in justice, in kindness, in mercy and charity?"

"More than a few, but continue," Tetsu no Tama said.

"These are all worthy ideals," Erza said, her heart rushing as she felt it, her spirit melding with his, their souls feeling as one, "but if they cannot be applied to reality, what good are they? What is the point of believing in justice and kindness, if you cannot use it to protect those who need it? Reality is difficult, and what is and is not just may change from one time to the next. It is not an absolute idea, and thinking it is was folly. But that does not mean there is no such thing as justice- only that its existence looks different than I thought. When you said that… you meant for me to be practical. That should I want to protect the weak, then I must do so without getting lost in simple ideas of right and wrong- that I must think on what these actually mean before acting. But above all, I must act."

Tetsu no Tama simply nodded, and motioned for her to continue. Feeling a little unsure, Erza said,

"You never wanted me to let go of these ideas, because they are part of who I am- and you always wanted me to be true to myself. You… wanted me to be more than just a person with ideas. You wanted me to be everything I could be- and you didn't mean just in terms of being able to lift a sword."

"Is that all?" Tetsu no Tama said mockingly.

Erza's hand shot out, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him in close.
"I am Erza Scarlet, raised a mage by Fairy Tail." She said loudly and clearly. "I have never forgot what that meant. What is right and what is wrong might change, and I may have to make difficult decisions- ones that lead to big mistakes. I may have to compromise. But no matter what happens, no matter where I go, I will always be a Fairy Tail mage at heart- I may have lost every friend I had there, and I may never get them back, but they live in my memories and my heart, and I will never forget for what they stand. No matter what I may have to do, I will never go against their creed- to do good, to help others, to suffer no injustice. I will not change this, not for the Gotei, not for Aizen Sousuke, and not for you either! And if that does not suit you, then you can go to hell!"

Softly, Tetsu no Tama held her wrist, and gently removed it from her collar, taking her hand in both of his, and looked her in the eye with a small smile on his face.
"And so, my master, you know my name."

"…I do." Erza said breathlessly. "It is…"

"TETSUKEN YOSEITAMA!" Erza roared, her voice carrying across the sky, booming like thunder as her reiatsu climaxed, discharging in a flash of light. Aguerra held an arm over his eyes, temporarily blinded. When he looked back up, he saw his enemy stare down at him furiously, her eyes cold and confident.
Gone were the black robes of a shinigami; instead she was clothed in metal, a grand and finely detailed suit of plate mail covering everything but her head. Her chest, her arms and hands, her thigs, her feet, all were covered in dull grey plate. Power radiated from her, in calm, strong pulses, and in her hand was the great, tall axe from before.

"Bankai?" Aguerra sneered. "What sort of petty showing is this? I do not fear it, shinigami!"

"You will." Erza said calmly, and took a stance, readying herself to charge. This was the steel blade, the fairy soul, the armour she had once worn, reflected through her very soul, once a magic technique and now her bankai.

"Talk is cheap!" Aguerra hissed, leaping forward. Erza met his charge, moving forward in a flash. She was still hurt, bleeding, and this bankai, young as it was, drained her power quick- it was heavy to wear, and she had a long way to go before it was mastered. But it would be enough.
Clashing mid-air, Aguerra closed the distance lightning fast, cutting at her with his knife-like hands. But the once-lethal blades clattered harmlessly against the spirit-steel, and Erza let out a loud roar as she brought the axe down, cutting straight and hard into Aguerra's shoulder. The axe's edge buried itself in the hollow's flesh, cracking its hard shell with ease, and it screamed and hissed as it jumped back.

"You think this will help you?" Aguerra screeched, and Erza noticed the bleeding had stopped- not unsurprisingly, he had some measure of regeneration.
"If you make a turtle of yourself, then I shall pick away at you, you base shinigami filth!" He sneered. "Do not think I cannot read you- your move slower now! Your bankai is not power, only a trade!"

"I told you, Aguerra," Erza said, and her armour began to glow, "you haven't seen anything yet. Requip: Heaven's wheel!"
The armour shifted in an instant, into a light plate, hanging like scales over her body, great metal wings forming behind her back. It covered her from tip to toe, like the armour before, but it was lighter, and fit more loosely. At a thought's command, her weapon shifted again, becoming the twin swords. In the blink of an eye, she charged forward, cutting at the hollow with blinding speed. Now, the situation was reversed- just barely Aguerra kept up, as Erza methodically landed blow after blow, hammering each hit home like a sledgehammer, driving the hollow back one step after another. Snarling with frustration, Aguerra tried catching her swords with one hand to strike her, just as before- but he had only a split second, and his cut left but a scratch on Erza's chest. Mercilessly, Erza struck back, cutting the fingers off his hand with both her swords, immediately following up by a wide swing. Staggered, Aguerra caught one blade- but the other surged forward, and cut right through his arm. Erza looked him in the eye with contemptuous determination, and with a single movement, she twisted the sword and cut his arm off.

Once again, Aguerra shrieked, and leaped back.
"You think I have not lived through worse?!" He cried. "You think I became Vasto Lorde without winning impossible fights? I will regrow that arm- but not before I feast on your innards, YOU SIMPLE, IGNORANT SHINIGAMI BITCH!"

"You learn all sorts of things, living in the world of the living," Erza said coldly. "Like dogs. Humans love them. They make great pets. But the thing about dogs is, the smaller and weaker they are, the louder they bark. You didn't talk very much before, did you, Aguerra Mantisse?"

"ARROGANT CUNT!" The hollow roared, and charged forward wildly. Reading his movement expertly, Erza let her weapons phase out, grabbed him by the wrist, pulled him down forcefully, and kicked him in the back- hard. Aguerra let out a small sound, rather sounding like 'ack', and went tumbling down, crashing into the ground. A small crater formed, she saw as the dust settled down. Slowly, Erza descended after him.
Not beaten yet, the hollow was already on his feet, flexing his claws. The stump on his arm had already begun to grow, and he had power still- if he calmed down, this could be dangerous. Again, her armour glowed…

"Requip: Flame Empress." Erza said simply, and again the armour changed. The plate, now, was a simple and sleek black, covered in red, gold and orange, as if she were on fire. Draped around her shoulders were a cape, black on the inside and a fiery red on the outside.
"Render." She said, and the black greatsword formed in her hand once more, whole and terrifying. At her will, it caught fire, burning like a small conflagration in her hand, down the entire length of the blade. Calmly, she waited for Aguerra to get ready.

"You should have killed me already, if you could," it said, growling out the words. "You shinigami are so pathetic- honour, is that what you call it? We call it weakness."

"Tier Halibel calls it luxury." Erza said coolly, and she noticed him flinch a little at the mention of the name. "And you are not nearly as dangerous as she is. But at any rate, I do not need to be ruthless to defeat you."
It was a bit of tough talk, in the hopes of perhaps goading him. Luckily, it seemed to work.

"For my master Aizen!" Aguerra cried, charging forward, his one good arm cutting forward in a surgically precise strike. But Erza was ready for him, and caught the strike with her blade held high, redirecting it to swing wide. Quickly, she stepped forward, and kicked the hollow in the chest, knocking him off his feet, sending him tumbling a good few yards. Before he could recover, she leaped forward, and ran Breaker through his chest, pinning him to the ground like some grotesque insect under a needle. He squirmed and shrieked, his hand grasping at her blade, his body convulsing desperately.

"It cannot be!" He screamed. "You- you are petty and weak! Unworthy of Lord Aizen's cause! How- how could you possibly defeat me?"

"You succumbed to the luxury of arrogance." Erza said. "When you are sure you can win, that is when you can fall hard and far. For you, it is over."

"Arrogant? ARROGANT?!" Aguerra roared. "I am Vasto Lorde! I stand at the top of all hollows! I am a favoured servant of Lord Aizen! I deserve-"

"Burn." Erza said, and let her reiatsu pour into the blade, fanning the flames. They grew and grew, and within seconds they had enveloped the monster's body, eating through his bony body and flesh rapidly. The monster screamed and squirmed, desperately trying to claw itself free, but within a minute it had been reduced to ash. With one last scream, fading into nothingness, it was purged and purified. Erza looked around- aside from this crater by the roadside, the place seemed fine. Nobody hurt, no chaos, nobody crying… good.
She coughed, and staggered, and her bankai slipped away from her. It had consumed a considerable chunk of her reiatsu; she had to force herself to stay upright. She had unlocked the ultimate power, but damn it was unruly and vicious… she let Breaker fade away, too, and sealed her zanpakutou, sheathing it.

A Vasto Lorde. Her bankai, her power, it had allowed her to defeat a Vasto Lorde. One not nearly as powerful as Halibel, but still…
Halibel. Her too, she missed- she wondered what she must think of her now.

Then it struck her. Aizen. Aizen was a clever, conniving bastard, and there was no way that if he really wanted his prize, he would never rely on just a single piece on the board to get it. This… what if this was just a decoy? No, oh please no…
Quickly, forcing herself to speed away into a shunpo despite the pain and weariness, she ran, heading directly for the hospital.

Kreel was not much, as far as Menos went. He was small in stature, the shell on his back making him look like little more than a man-sized beetle, not helped by the single horn on his mask. He had just barely made adjuchas, surviving through the vicious process by the skin of his yellowing teeth, but he had come out small and weak. But he was a survivor, mainly because he had a knack for sneaking. Lord Aizen had seen this underhandedness for what it was- a strength, the same as any, and had sent him to the world of the living. Clever plan, yes-yes- big Aguerra and his claws would distract the nasty shinigami, and Kreel, small and vicious Kreel, would pluck the prize and bring it to Lord Aizen. He would be rewarded, noticed, favoured… maybe even made arrancar, once the time was right. He would ingratiate himself to an espada, become a servant, live well and safe…
He nearly lost himself in fantasies of triumph as he approached the chamber where the young one he sought was held. He had long since forgot what it was like, being human, and now it seemed such a pitiful affair- born small, weak and helpless, dependent on their flesh-incubators for decades… weak. Weaker than him. He could crush any of these people-seeds easily, and the thought of it filled him with glee.

No distractions, he decided. He was to be rewarded, and taking risks was bad- avoiding risks was what had let him live so long. He carefully trod through the hall, avoiding the frail little humans in his path. He had the scent now, yes- a strong reiatsu, unlike the weak souls around it. His mouth watered, with so many souls so close and so easy to take- but no, Kreel had come here for one thing only. Carefully, he moved inside the room where the scent came from. A human female, sleeping there, a people-seed lying on her chest. Cautiously, he reached out with one hand. Lord Aizen had been very specific- he was not to harm the little one in any way. If he did, he would regret it. The threat had been unspoken, and Kreel preferred it that way- he did not want to imagine what it was like being on the master's bad side. He reached out, his stubby fingers just inches away-

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Kreel flinched, nearly tripping over himself, as he stumbled away from the bed. The voice was cold, in control, and came from the door- there stood a human, with grey hair and little glass things over his eyes, looking right at him.
"You- you see me?!" Kreel nearly shrieked, keeping his voice quiet. Humans weren't supposed to see you. They weren't supposed to know you were coming.
"Stay back! I will cut you open- eat your guts!" He snarled. It was just a human, after all. It had a bit of spirit to it, many humans in this town did- but it was just a human, and Kreel was not afraid of humans. He nearly felt ashamed, to have been startled by such a pitiful creature.

"Standing over my cousin's bed, a literal cradle-robber," The human said with distaste. "You are lucky I value her sleep, beast."

Kreel turned around, and raised his hands. Just the one human, asking for it… surely, the master would not hold that against him. Hissing, he took a step forward.
The human raised his arm, and Kreel saw something dangle from its wrist. In an instant, a bow took form in its hand, and with its free hand, the human strung it, an arrow taking shape on it. Suddenly, Kreel could feel it, spiritual energy and lots of it.

"Go away!" He snarled. "This does not concern you, human- go, go!"

"Die." The human said, and let loose an arrow. It hit Kreel in the chest, with tremendous force, and he staggered back, putting a crack in the wall behind him as he was forced back. It hurt; Kreel could feel it burn his very being, nasty like no cut he had ever taken before-
Then the human strung his bow again, and let another arrow loose, cracking straight through his mask. The last thing Kreel felt was pain, as his very being collapsed, turning into dust.

Irritably, Ryuken let his bow disintegrate, and lit a cigarette. There would be questions about how that wall had broken, and it was against the rules to smoke in patients' rooms, too…
Well, he'd make something up. He always did; he had experience in these things. Karakura Hospital was not in a place to fire doctors anyhow; if there was one thing he could be sure of with this profession, it was that he'd always have a job.
Quietly, he took another puff, and looked to Masaki and her boy. She looked so… peaceful. His mother positively loathed her for what she had done, running off an marrying a shinigami… which was a sign as sure as any that she was likely doing something right. They didn't talk much- for a second he considered waking her up, but something held him back. She was safe now, anyhow- she didn't need him fussing. She had plenty of people for that…

Putting out his cigarette, he walked back into the hallway. Approaching fast was that red-headed woman, who had sped off to fight that Vasto Lorde- good enough, saved him the trouble. She was running back now, right past him, to Masaki's room.
Ryuken kept walking. He wasn't anybody's hero, and he hadn't saved her to be thanked.

And there you have it ladies and gentlemen, Erza Scarlets Bankai! I do hope you like it.

Now, I know that there is a possibility that some people will be a bit...disappointed by it. After all, its nothing more than what she has in cannon right? Well, truth be told, I had ALWAYS planned on this being what her bankai would be, from the very beginning. Why limit her to just ONE armor? I couldn't do it. Thus, I went this route.

Some may say that this was lazy, and boring, to that I say...Just when were you under the impression that her bankai was ONLY her cannon armors? I have plenty of original armor ideas that will be used for her bankai. What you've seen so far is merely her achieving it. She is not even CLOSE to mastering her bankai.

Now, some of you may also be wondering why its different from the bankai she used against Kenpachi. That, as I believe ive said before, was an INCOMPLETE bankai. Renji himself had one, and Ichigo has had atleast three changes to his (going on 4 now) Hell, Byakuya's has multiple stages, so this really shouldn't be an issue.

Now, some of you mght also ask this. "HOW THE HELL DID ERZA BEAT A VASTO LORDE?! THEY ARE STRONGER THAN CAPTAINS!" If you ask me...they arnt. They are EQUAL to captians. Now, when I say this, I'm referring to JUST a vasto lorde, not an ARRANCAR vasto lorde.

Keep this in mind, Only 4 of aizens Espada were vasto lorde. 4-1. All of them required some kind of power way beyond that of your average captain to beat. (stark lost to Shunsui, strong enough to be the current capatain commander, ulquiorra only died from Ichigos hollow form, Haribel was beaten easily by Aizen, and Baragan had to have his own hax used against him.)

Keep in mind, these are vasto lorde ARRANCAR. Not JUST Vasto lorde. Being an arrancar gives a huge power boost.

LAST but not least, the vasto lorde Erza thought, had JUST become one. He is WEAK for a vasto lorde. In other words, you could say he is the equivalent of RADITZ for vasto lorde. Strong? Yes. As strong as Haribel? No.

I do hope you all like me adding her to the Masaki house old. This, like the bankai, was planned from the start. Yoruichi wasn't, but I like her, and I can see her and Erza getting along great.

I do hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to leave a review, I GREATLY appreciate it.