"Eh, Ryia, what are we doing here?" Ichigo asked looking at the forest. "Do you remember, Ichigo, when you got your powers back?" Ryia asked. "Of course, It was against my fight against the fullbringers." Ichigo answered. "Correct, the sword used to establish your powers had powers from all of the captains and a handful of others. Only, my power works differently than the others." Ryia explained. "What do you mean?" Ichigo asked confused. "I'm the shadow queen, my whole existence is made up of nothing but shadows, so when I put my pressure into the sword you received some of that power. Don't tell me you haven't noticed familiars hanging around you." Ryia said. "Now that you mention it, I have noticed these little black creatures in my room…" Ichigo said. "They're not creatures, they're familiars. The ones in your room you can control willingly." Ryia explained summoning one up. "Because I'm the queen naturally I have control over them as well, which also means I can limit your shadow power as well." Ryia explained. "Shadow...power?" Ichigo asked. "Yes, because my power now fuels yours you can use the shadows, Not enough to make much of a difference but you have it nonetheless. So with that, your training with me today will be how you can effectively use and control the power inside you." Ryia explained. "And how to I do that?" Ichigo asked as Ryia smirked.

Jumping in front of Ichigo Ryia placed her hand on Ichigo's chest. "Seal" She whispered as Ichigo's body tensed up. "Wha-what did you do?" Ichigo asked as he collapsed to the ground. "It'll take a few minutes before your body gets use to it. I put a temporary seal on all of your power with the exception of the shadow powers coursing through your body. You will learn to fight, using only shadows." Ryia said crossing her arms again. "Only...shadows…" Ichigo said staring at her. "Correct, not even your zanpakuto will work. You will be fighting me, learn from me on how to control the shadow powers within you." She explained more turning into her true form and placed a barrier up around the area. "What better way to learn then from the ruler herself?" Ryia smirked as Ichigo stared at her as he slowly got up. "We'll first start off with your physical abilities. You will learn to fight hand to hand again without your other power." Ryia explained as a woman appeared behind her smirking. "My, isn't he a cute one…" She giggled. "Chiya, you should know what to do." Ryia said. "Chiya….you mean…" Ichigo gasped. "Yes, this is my zanpakuto, Chiya. As you know, I can control the shadows flawlessly. Chiya, is a dark type zanpakuto, born from my very being. She's a companion to me." Ryia explained. "In other words, I'm not a normal zanpakuto." Chiya giggled. "Chiya, leave us." Ryia ordered. "EH! I come all the way out here and you want me to leave? Not very nice of you considering I'm better at hand combat then you." Chiya pouted crossing her arms as Ryia glared at her.

Sighing Ryia looked over at Ichigo. "Fine, if you want to fight him you can." Ryia said as Chiya giggled in happiness. "Get ready carrot-top." She giggled. Ryia leaned against a tree watching the fight. As she expected Ichigo was getting use to not fighting at full potential, at the rate by tomorrow Ichigo would be able to move onto the next step. "Ryia….what are you going?" Kit asked popping up next to her through a portal. "Ichigo finally showed up for training, just not by who he thought. So I figured I'd help him control the shadow abilities coursing through him." Ryia explained. "Hey, do you know what this meeting tomorrow is to be about?" Kit asked looking over at her. "Nope, as far as I know it's a regular Captain's meeting, but for some reason Ichigo is also requested there." Ryia explained watching Chiya fight Ichigo. "Why is she fighting him?" Kit asked frowning. "You know I suck at Hakuda, she's better at it, plus she started whining. I figured it'd be good for both of them." Ryia stated.

After a few hours Ryia walked over. "Alright, I think you have a good grasps on your shadow powers now." Ryia said putting a hand on Ichigo's chest undoing the seal. "Eh…" Ichigo asked. "It's getting late, you better go rest up for tomorrow, our meetings are bright and early." Ryia explained turning back to normal as the barrier around them disappeared. "Thanks for everything today." Ichigo said looking at her. "Don't worry about it, rest up tomorrow, after then we're cracking down on your training more." Ryia explained as Chiya disappeared. "Right…." Ichigo nodded. "For now, why don't you go cuddle up with your girlfriend." Ryia smirked at him. "EH…...but...how…." Ichigo stuttered going red. "Please carrot-top, I've known for a while." Ryia smirked before dropping into her office.

"Man what a day…" Ryia sighed rubbing her neck looking down at her couch. Smiling she pulled out a blanket and covered Toshiro who was sound asleep. Sitting at her desk Ryia looked at the reports that sat in front of her. It was peaceful again, something she was happy about. Slowly, Ryia touched her neck. She could feel where it bumped up at the scar. Sighing Ryia snapped out of her daze. "I need to quit thinking about that…." Ryia huffed picking up the first report from the Rukon district. After a half hour Ryia looked up to see Toshiro sitting up. "Morning sunshine." She grinned as she finished filing away the documents. "Ryia….where have you been?" Toshiro asked looking at her worried. "I was training Ichigo on how to use his shadow powers." Ryia explained walking over. "Anyway, you ready to go home?" Ryia asked smiling. Nodding Toshiro got up and folding the blanket as Ryia closed everything up for the night. "So what is Ichigo going here anyway?" Toshiro asked as the walked home. "It appears Old man Yama wants him at the meeting tomorrow...I have a feeling it's going to be a long one with Kit's introduction ceremony then too." Ryia whined rubbing her head. "How about I cook supper then tonight?" Toshiro offered stopping Ryia in her tracks. "No way, remember last time you tried cooking?" Ryia asked frowning remember that night a few years ago.

"TOSHIRO!" Ryia yelled looking at what remained of her kitchen. She had to take care of a few things and ended up getting home late. Upon entering her home she noticed the thinning smoke that covered the ceiling as it rushed outside. Following the smoke she found her whole kitchen either charred or frozen. "Toshiro Hitsugaya, you have 5 seconds to explain what the hell happened to my kitchen." Ryia growled crossing her arms as she stared down at her husband. "Um well, I….I figured since...you was working so hard…..I'd surprise you with dinner, except….it didn't exactly work out…." Toshiro stuttered looking at his angry wife. "So you decided to destroy my kitchen?!" Ryia yelled causing Kit to run in. "What the hell is….going….on…" Kit asked as she saw the mess of a kitchen. Before either of the two siblings could move Toshiro was flying through the opened back door. "TOSHIRO!" Kit yelled running out to her brother before hearing the door slam shut. Inside Ryia looked at her destroyed kitchen. She had everything the way she wanted it. She had remodeled it after the bought the house, now….it was destroyed. "Lady Ryia?" A sudden voiced asked worried. Looking over Ryia was met with a pair blood red eyes. "Jack….what are you doing here?" Ryia asked wiping the tears of her eyes. "I sensed you was upset, I can always fix this for you." He offered smiling at her. "Thanks Jack." Ryia said softly nodding as Jack picked her up and carried her up to her bedroom. "I'll have it done by tomorrow, so don't worry." He said before leaving.

Ryia snapped out of her daze, since then she had not allowed Toshiro to cook once. "How about we just pick something up? I don't really feel like cooking tonight." Ryia suggested only to receive a nod from the male.

The next morning Ryia leaned against Kenpachi waiting for the head captain to get there. "Why do you always lean on me?" Kenpachi grummbled. "Well let's see here, you're next to me, I know that just leaning on you won't knock you over, and plus you know that later this afternoon you'll be coming into my office to fight me as usual, so unless you want to have a near death experience you'll let me rest until this meeting starts." Ryia hissed glaring up at the grinning man who was always looking forward to their fights. A few minutes later Ryia jumped a bit as the doors opened revealing Yamamoto. "Well that was short lived." She grumbled. "As you all know, recently Captain Hitsugaya and Captain Rose both recently retired. Since then Myself and a few other selected captains have chosen replacements." Yamamoto explained as he sat in his chair. "Will the new Captains please enter!" He called as the doors opened again revealing Ichigo and Kit in their new coats. "I present the new Captain of squad 3 Ichigo Kurosaki and the new Captain of squad 10 Kit Hitsugaya." Yamamoto announced to the otherwise silent room. After a bit there was a sudden clap snapping the other captains out of their trance. The duo looked over to see it was Ryia who started the clapping as the others slowly followed.

"Right, now, it is customary for a new Captain to have another as their mentor for a month, have you two thought about who yours will be?" Yamamoto asked looking at Kit and Ichigo. "I'm going with Ry." Kit said sending her friend a smirk. Nodding Yamamoto looked over at Ichigo. "And you?" He asked. "Well…." He started rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll look after him." Shinji said smiling. "I believe I'm a better choice, I am the one who originally taught him." Kisuke said glaring at the blond. Soon enough the two was arguing yet again. Growling Ryia walked over to the two and smashed their heads together. "WILL YOU TWO KNOCK IT OFF!" Ryia yelled glaring at the two. "Captain Yamamoto, If it's ok I'm willing to take both of them on, I am also teaching Ichigo how to use his dark abilities." Ryia suggested. "Are you sure about this Captain Arashi?" Yamamoto asked. "Yes sir." Ryia nodded. "Very well, both Captain Hitsugaya and Captain Kurosaki will be under Captain Arashi's mentorship." Yamamoto announced.

"So Ichigo, how exactly did you get roped into doing this?" Ryia asked after the meeting. "Well, Yamamoto called me and asked a few months ago if I wanted to live in the soul society as part of the gotai." Ichigo explained. "Wait...you mean he actually knows how to use a phone….that can be scary." Ryia said slightly shocked and scared. "Anyway...I suppose I should explain your new duties. You will be required to do walk-throughs of the maggots nest a couple times a month along with patrol of your divisions districts. Paperwork is to be done in a timely fashion and squad training must be done at least once a week. You will be put on missions depending on the skills needed and the danger level. Also you might get asked to do the occasional lecture at the academy." Ryia explained as they walked towards a door implanted in some rocks. "This is the maggots nest, Although is under the detention unit's control as Captains we are to make sure there's no sense of escape happening." She explained looking at Ichigo. "So….who are the prisoners?" He asked. "A majority of them is made up of soul reapers who are thought to bring harm to the soul society. Only a small fraction of them are actual prisoners of war and it's that fraction that are bound to cells." Ryia explained. "Also, while you're in the Maggots nest you are not permitted to carry your zanpakuto." She continued pulling hers out of her sash before making it disappear as Kit did the same thing. "You can leave it out here, the guards will watch it for you." Ryia told Ichigo who removed Zangetsu from his back and laid it against the building before following the other two. "In here you will have to be able to use your hand to hand combat skills to subdue prisoners. There's always at least one that tries to escape when someone enters." Ryia explained as the walked into a large, cave like opening filled with wondering prisoners.

Soon enough Ryia had someone pinned to the ground. "You never learn do you?" She sighed looking at the male under her. "Let me out….I don't belong in here…" The male struggled. "Yes, you do." Ryia frowned knocking him out before standing up and glaring the other prisoners who had surrounded them causing them to immediately disperse. "Come along…" Ryia said before heading deeper into the maggots nest. "Down here is where the more….problematic criminals are, ones we can't let roam around with the others." Ryia explained. "But….the cells are mostly empty…" Ichigo said looking at the empty rooms. "Correct." Ryia said stopping and turning around. "In most of the Seritai history there has only been one man who was detained down here until he was released into a squad under a certain captain's command. Kit, you should know who I'm talking about." Ryia said looking at her friend. "Eh….don't tell me it was him…." Kit frowned as Ryia smirked. "Yep, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, former Captain of squad 12." Ryia said looking at Ichigo before turning and walked to another door. "Behind this door is where the prisoners of war are kept. The chance of them being released is lower than the ones in the yard, in truth these criminals have about a 99.9% chance of dieing down here." Ryia continued before opening the door. On the other side sat cells on both sides of the corridor with one at the end. "Fortunately most of the cells are empty….all except 1." Ryia said walking to the cell on the end. "Wake up." She ordered looking at the light blue-haired male lying inside freezing the two captains behind Ryia. Suddenly squirts of water started flying towards the now ex-espada as Ryia started squirting him with a spray bottle. "Will you fuckin stop that?" the male growled getting up glaring at the smirking captain. "Oh come on kitty-boy, I was sure you would have loved the free shower…" Ryia grinned at him. "Grimmjow…." Kit whispered to softly for him to hear. "Anyway here's your lunch." Ryia said sliding a tray into the cell from her realm. "The hell is this… it looks like cat food." Grimmjow growled looking at the plate. "We've been over this before, you're not getting a 3 course meal here, you're a prisoner, you get what the others get deal with it." Ryia growled before turning. "Come on you two, there's still more I have to explain." Ryia said as she started walking away. Slowly Kit followed Ichigo as she looked back one last time at Grimmjow. He was alive, maybe, with her new position, she can finally let Kaida see him again.

"So, what's wrong with you?" Ryia asked looking at her best friend as she put a stack of paperwork on the desk. "Nothing." Kit answered moving to grab the first paper only to stop then Ryia put her hand on the stack. "Don't try feeding me that bullshit Kit, we've been friends for almost 100 years, there's something wrong now I want you to tell me what it is." Ryia demanded causing Kit to look up at her friend. Ryia's face held worry, was it that obvious she was spacing out? "It's just…..seeing Grimmjow today….a bit of relief washed over me, just knowing he's alive.." Kit started. "We was under orders, Old man Yama didn't want you to know in case you wanted to try to free him. No one outside the Captains and the Detention unit knows he's still here in the seireitei, and it's to stay that way." Ryia explained. "But Kaida….." Kit said looking at her friend. "She can't know, I know you want to tell her, maybe even show her that Grimmjow's alive, but you know how she is, she will end up defying orders and go down there to see him and get locked up herself for doing so. Do you want that Kit?" Ryia asked looking at her. "Of course I don't, but she has a right to know!" Kit protested. Sighing Ryia looked at Kit, tears where threatening to fall, she wanted so badly to tell Kaida. "I understand that, but we all have rules we have to follow, and that's one of them. As a Captain there's some stuff we must keep secret, that goes for also being mothers. We want our children to have everything, so they won't feel pain. We can't cushion them Kit, sometimes, being a good mother means denying your child something, letting feel that pain." Ryia explained. "Do you think I don't know that? I know Kaida can't see him, They haven't seen each other since Kaida was 6." Kit argued. "Kit….are you saying that you would rather Grimmjow be Kaida's father then Renji?" Ryia asked simply looking at her best friend that stopped. "No, that's not what I'm saying at all." Kit answered frowning. "Because to me, it sounds that way. Renji helped you raise Kaida after the war, he took her in as his own child, but now since you know Grimmjow's alive, you want him and Kaida to have that father-daughter bond. You're completely disregarding how Renji would feel. Think about it Kit, how do you think Renji would feel if Kaida started calling him by his name and Grimmjow Dad?" Ryia asked standing up. "Think about what I said Kit." Ryia continued before leaving the room. Kit stared at the door, she was right, she couldn't tell Kaida.