Unless I grip the sword,

I cannot protect you.

While gripping the sword,

I cannot embrace you

---Bleach Volume 5, Right Arm of the Giant

A few months later, Rukia had failed to return to Seireitei. Shinigami were sent out to retrieve her, but failed and always came back with a strange excuse. The strangest one so far was from Eikichirou Saidou, saying that she had discovered the meaning of life. Of course the meaning of life was unknown as many had different points of view on it. Rina was dispatched soon after; they thought that if they sent someone from the same division, it would be easier to get the answer. Mika and Tori found a way to entertain themselves—redecorating their home.

"Let's…paint a big picture of a clown!!" Tori decided evilly.

"Why don't we get a picture of Mayuri and just put it up there?" Mika asked.

"Cuz he'll scare us too and we don't want that!" Tori pointed out. Mika sighed, she had to do work again—when was there a day where she didn't have to work? So they got started on the hideous clown prank they were unfolding on their friend. They somehow managed to finish it in 5 hours.

"Finally finished!!" Mika said wiping her brow. The clown was…creepy. It looked just like a clown with an evilly smiling grin. And it covered the WHOLE main wall, so the first thing you would see when you walked in would be this deranged reject from the 80's smiling at you. They now had to wait 6 days for their friend to return.

"…You know what? It's kinda creepy…" Tori remarked staring at their masterpiece.

Rukia and Ichigo had finished their day at school; of course Ichigo would stay away from Rukia to prove the rumors wrong. That wasn't quite possible as Rukia would always manage to find him. This time though, she was alone. She looked up and froze; she saw someone she didn't expect to see.

"Wh-what!? W-why are you here?" she stuttered, shocked to see her own comrade to 'retrieve' her.

"Hey, it's not like I had a choice!" she grumbled boredly looking down at her.

"…Then why are you here?" she repeated once more slightly worried.

Ichigo decided he couldn't ditch Rukia forever so he went out of his way to look for her. He turned and saw her conversing with another shinigami. Ichigo had freaked out and grabbed Kon out of his bag, who in turn tried to fight back for harassing a stuffed animal. He reached inside of Kon and grabbed the pill and transformed into a shinigami, Kon was just pissed off in Ichigo's body…that is until he saw a skirt...then another one. He chased after two girls with Ichigo not knowing.

"GET AWAY FROM HER YOU GOD...DESS OF DEATH!!!!!!!!" he roared out violently.

The two females turned their heads toward the orange-haired psycho charging at them at light speed swinging his sword around like he was a middle-aged person swinging his cane. It kinda freaked the two out so they ran for it.

"Wait!!! Rukia!!! I didn't mean you!!" He shouted out, unfortunately the two had already high-tailed outta there. He sighed and grumbled he had looked like a total idiot; he was just lucky that not many people could see him. He then spotted Kon chasing two very scared girls.

"KON!!!" he yelled out, Kon looked behind him and ran even faster causing the girls to scream out for help.

Some people saw what was happening, and decided to stop the young man chasing the girls. All of the sudden he came to a sudden halt. Ichigo was strangling him from behind cursing every now and then. Since Ichigo was in his shinigami form all the people could see, was a twitching person, slightly foaming at the mouth with his eyes rolled back. He looked like a street performer imitating a heart attack. A random person walked by to see what was going on—he threw a coin at Kon's feet. The tinkle of the coin caught Ichigo's attention. Then it hit him! Nobody could see him!! He let go immediately, Kon who did not learn his lesson, started chasing the girls again. Ichigo's slow reaction time kicked in to chase after his hijacked body.

---

Back at Seireitei, Mika was observing their masterpiece. She walked around the house back and forth…

"No matter where I go…it's always watching me!" she grumbled staring intently at the picture, half expecting it to come to life.

"You're still looking at that thing?" Tori questioned, it was hard to concentrate with her roommate walking around all over the house. Mika just nodded, staring at the hideous picture.

"…You gave away your powers?!!" Rina asked in disbelief, Rukia nodded worriedly. She knew a reaction like hers would happen. "…Why?" she asked. Rukia then explained her situation, Ichigo then returned to his room, with his body.

"YOU!!!" he yelled pointing at Rina.

"Me indeed" she answered boredly staring at the orange-haired psycho.

"Ichigo! Chill! I know her!" Rukia yelled standing up. Now since Ichigo's family didn't know of Rukia, Yuzu went up the stairs to investigate whose voice it was.

"Onii-chan! Who's up there with you?" she asked curiously peering into his room. All she saw was Ichigo hugging his closet door.

"Huh? What are you doing?" she asked confused. "And I heard a girl's voice up here too" she said wondering.

"Uh-uh…I…I…threw my voice! I'm a ventriloquist!!" he said quickly whipping such a fake lie. He lay there hoping she didn't ask for a demonstration.

"You can sound like a girl?" she asked.

"U-uh…yeah! Who knew?" He said sweating bullets. She shrugged and left his room.

"Phew!" he sighed in relief. The female shinigami was still on his bed staring at him like he was an idiot.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing" she answered. "…Saidou you pervert!" she muttered under her breath realizing what Saidou had meant by 'finding the meaning of life'. She decided to leave since she knew Rukia's reason—she wasn't going to report her though, Seireitei had strict rules for such actions and she didn't want her to get into trouble.

"Hey! Orange-haired psycho!" he twitched at what she had referred him to.

"…It's Ichigo! Kurosaki Ichigo!" he told her through clenched teeth.

"Strawberry? Cute name!" She smirked at him while he was fuming thinking of ways to kill her.

"Well…don't let Rukia die…you'll be a bad boyfriend if ya do!" she smirked at him then jumped out of his window, leaving an embarrassed kid behind. Rukia, who was inside the closet at the time, was blushing furiously.

"I'm serious we have to get rid of it!!" Mika yelled at her friend.

"I know!! But it's too scary to get close to!!" she yelled back. The two girls were in front of their door, wishing they could get in. They had access but the clown was way too scary for them to comprehend.

"…Why are you guys sitting out here?" Rina asked curiously. The two didn't answer. Rina shrugged and went inside and… "KKKKYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! CCCLLLLOOOOOOWWWWWNNNNNN!!!!" She screamed out. She stormed out quite terrified, and glared at the two. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU GUYS DO?!!" she exploded with anger.

"Uh…we were just …redecorating?" Mika answered carefully.

"YOU CALL PAINTING A CLOWN ON OUR WALL AND NOT TO MENTION LEAVING YOUR PETS TO SUFFER—"

"MOOSIE!! ELLIOTT!!! GOMEN NA SAI!!!" Mika interrupted realizing she had left her two pets inside the household.

"Chill, don't need to spaz!" Tori said to her calmly. She grumbled at the two and stormed off to an unknown direction.

"CLOWN-FACE!!!" Tori and Mika slammed open 12th Division's door which caused it to break. He grumbled and walked up to them.

"What?" he asked quietly yet it was laced with poison.

"Can you…oh I dunno…do us a favor?" Mika asked quickly. Being up close to Mayuri in person was a lot scarier.

"…What?" he asked again seeming to be interested.

"Can you repaint our wall?" Tori asked all kiddy-like.

"…No"

"WHY?!" the two whined.

"I'm a captain of the Gotei 13 not an interior designer—"

"Go figure…" Mika said quietly after all his division was dark, gray and clammy WOULDN'T YOU LOVE TO WORK THERE?!

"…and I am 100 percent sure your friend that has clown-phobia would not approve of my presence in your home."

"…Clown-phobia? That's not the name!!! I thought you were a scientist!!!"

"FRAUD!!!" Tori pointed accusingly at Mayuri. Members of his division gasped to add affect. He turned around and gave a piercing glare to them which automatically shut them up.

"…Find someone else to do your job!!" he spat out then slammed the door on them. But the door was smashed to bits so all he did was throw air at them.

"HI!" Mika shouted out to Nemu who in return waved back with a smile.

"What?!" Mayuri looked back and realized he didn't have a door. He muttered something and continued on with his work.

---

"Who can repaint our wall?" Tori wondered.

"…Yachiru?" Mika asked.

"…Maybe…"

"YACHIRU!!"

"YEAH?!" She piped up.

"Can you repaint our wall? You know the one with the creepy clown on it?"

"Oh you mean 'Clown-taichou #2'? Sure!!" She took the mission and hopped off with a can of paint.

"YES!!!" the two exclaimed.

Now when you think of Yachiru, what color comes first to mind? If you guessed pink you have guessed the wall's color!! The three stood, wide-eyed, mouths open staring at the bright pink wall.

"Like it?" she asked in her cute adorable voice.

"Uh-huh…it's so pretty, you should go paint Seireitei!" Mika and Tori said sarcastically. Yachiru couldn't sense the sarcasm in their voices so she went off painting Seireitei… Luckily Zaraki caught her before she started any real damage.

"Well…at least the clown's gone!" Rina said looking on the burning, neon, bright side called pink.

"Yeah… at least we can paint over it without freaking out." Tori said.

"…You guys didn't do anything else reckless when I was away…did you?" Rina asked suspiciously. Both girls glanced at each other for a second quite scared and replied with a 'maybe…' then ran out.

---

Yamamoto had called Rina in to get the reason behind Rukia's late return.

"So what's the reason?" he asked calmly.

"Reason?" she asked blankly.

"…yes that's why you were sent out to the real world" he answered.

"…Ohhh…" she said realizing the true reason.

"Are you saying that you went down there just to goof off?" he asked losing his patience.

"No of course not!!" she answered. "I talked to her don't worry!"

"What is it then?" he asked once more.

"…What are we talking about?" she asked blaming her terrible memory.

"This is going to take a while" he sighed.

[After a long period of interrogation that had failed miserably…]

"You know what?" she suddenly asked. "I should have mentioned that we got her a bunny…" she said going deep into thought. Yamamoto slapped his head; he wasn't going to get an answer simply by playing 20 questions.

"Tsukiyomi Rina!" Yamamoto yelled out in frustration.

"Yeah?" she asked not noticing his anger.

"Tell me her reason now or I'll send Keiguns to get her!" he threatened.

"…Ok…ok…god! She's injured…" she said.

"…Just injured?" he asked.

"Yeah"

"Why didn't you say so in the first place?" He asked.

"…I dunno!" she answered mockingly.

Rukia was given a month's reprieve to recover from her so-called injuries. Once the month was over however, she still hadn't returned. It was decided that 6th division's captain and vice-captain go retrieve her. Mika was quite distraught that she couldn't annoy her red-headed friend during the time. She soon found someone else to bug, and she was totally fine with it. Tori found a new hobby other than flicking paperclips; she would hide in alleyways and jump out with her hollow mask on to scare people. Amazingly it scared some minor shinigami. Once the two returned though, they brought bad news with them. Rukia's actions had considered to be more serious than anyone had thought it was, so she was sentenced to death. Of course, people were shocked at this, they knew that her crimes were serious but didn't know that it was worth the death penalty.

"I WANT YOU TO MARCH IN THERE AND DEMAND THAT RUKIA'S DEATH PENALTY IS CANCELLED!!!" Mika ordered Renji. He looked at her stunned; someone that was a lower rank than him had ordered him to do something.

"Listen, I don't like the outcome either but we have to accept the decision and—"

"WHO CARES ABOUT THE DAMNED RULES?!" Mika interrupted quite rudely. If Renji had said one more word, he probably would've been dead or in a near-death situation. Mika who was close friends with Rukia would not allow the decision that was being accepted by many.

"…Oh okay!" he gave in and walked away slouching.

"I SAID MARCH!" she ordered him; he immediately stood up straight and started marching then saluted.

"YESSIR—MA'AM!!" He didn't mean the 'sir' part but decided to march outta there before she ordered him to do something else.

---

"SHIRO-CHAN!" Tori whined for the 50th time. He sighed and put his head down.

"…I don't even know her well, why should I help her?" he asked.

"Cuuuuuuzzzz…she's my friend so she's your friend's friend and you're a captain!!!" He sighed once more thinking it over.

"What would Hinamori say?" Tori asked him who froze instantly. He knew Hinamori would disapprove of the execution.

---

"…so you're just going to let your little sister die?" Rina asked him following him down a corridor; he didn't answer and kept moving forward.

"…hehe…I always knew you two were together…" Zaraki said from behind them. Then Gin's voice was heard. "Only you and 9th division's are afraid of death…" Zaraki pointed out to a Gin who wasn't aware of the fact.

"What do two captains without their adjutants want with me?" Byakuya asked slightly annoyed.

"Oh…we were jus' wonderin if 6th Division's captain was feelin down afta' hearin' his lil' sis was gonna die" Gin answered easily. Zaraki then pointed something out about the nobles which Byakuya retorted with a smart remark.

"…guess boys will be boys…no matter how old they are." Rina sighed under her breath.

"…Well how bout' it? How bout I chop her head off right now?" Zaraki asked.

"Oh? I didn't know someone of your power could do such a thing." Byakuya replied. Soon the two were threatening each other into a battle which they nearly started. If Gin hadn't acted, a fight would've broken out.

"So sorry! We'll be takin our leave now!" Gin apologized then leapt off with a bound Zaraki cursing at him.

"Well?" Rina asked him once again. "Are you going to stop her execution?"

"…My answer is no, whatever Soul Society decides it goes."

"…Guess I shouldn't have expected so much from a noble…" she muttered turning away from him.

"What was that?" he asked quite offended. She was gone, so his last words weren't heard.

---

"UKITAKE-TAICHOU!!!" the three yelled out for him.

"…what?" he asked quietly.

"RUKIA IS PART OF THIS DIVISION AND WE DO NOT PLAN ON LOSING HER!!! SO GET OFF YOUR LAZY ASS AND MARCH DOWN THERE AND DEMAND THAT SHE GETS OUT OF HER PENALTY!!! SHE LOST HER POWERS FOR A GOOD REASON AND IF THAT DOESN'T GET THROUGH TO THOSE CENTRAL 46 OR THE GOTEI 13 CAPTAIN JERKS, THEN TELL THEM THEY'RE GONNA BE IN HELL SOON!!!" His 4th, 5th, and 6th seat yelled at him. He was momentarily deafened, once he gained his sense of hearing he then took a deep breath and retorted.

"IF LIFE WAS GOING MY WAY, I WOULDN'T BE DYING NOW WOULD I? AND KAIEN WOULD STILL BE ALIVE AND RUKIA WOULDN'T BE IN THIS MESS!!!" he yelled back at them. People outside the office were quite terrified and decided not to show up for work. "AND BY THE WAY!! I'M ONE OF THOSE GOTEI 13 CAPTAIN JERKS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!" he added furiously.

"GAH!! THIS IS WHAT WE GET FOR ASKING MENS' HELP!!!"

"I DON'T WANNA HEAR ANY OF THOSE SEXIST REMARKS MISSY!!!"

Well 13th Division was alive and well…somewhat. Even though many captains especially 6th and 13th's got many death threats and arguments that day, they all said it was the rules. Probably one of the most memorable and terrifying arguments that day was between Byakuya and Rina. People automatically assumed it was just a lover's spat which earned those people a one-way all paid expense trip to Unohana.

Italics are for Rina, Underline for Byakuya. I do not think about the characters in any which way the argument is put in…so don't flame me for that…and if you do, I will ignore you and never read anything from you... (now that I think about it, I'm not sure how it'd be offensive...so this message is for those highly sensitive people...I guess)

"WHY WON'T YOU SAVE YOUR SISTER?!"

"I ALREADY TOLD YOU, I'M FOLLOWING THE RULES!"

"WHO CARES ABOUT THE RULES!!!? I'M AMAZED THAT RULES CAN GET TO YOU WHILE OTHER PEOPLES THOUGHTS DON'T!!"

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"

"IF YOU WEREN'T SO THICK-HEADED, SOMETHING COULD GET TO THAT PEANUT-SIZED BRAIN OF YOURS!"

"EXCUSE ME?! YOU'RE ONE TO TALK ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU LET YOUR TWO ROOMMATES RUN AMUCK WHILE YOU WERE GONE!"

"THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT! UNLIKE YOU THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT!!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T DO WHATEVER I WANT?!"

"I'M SAYING THAT YOU TAKE WHATEVER YOU GET!! YOU CAN'T DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO AT ALL!!!"

"HOW SO?"

"RENJI WAS HANDED OVER TO YOU, YOU DIDN'T CHOOSE! YOUR STATUS WAS GIVEN TO YOU EVER SINCE YOUR BIRTH!! YOUR POWER WAS GIVEN TO YOU BY TRAINING THAT WAS GIVEN TO YOU!!! I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF HISANA WAS GIVEN TO YOU!!!"

"HOW DARE YOU PUT HER NAME IN VAIN!!"

"I'M AMAZED THAT YOU CARE ABOUT HER BUT NOT HER LITTLE SISTER!"

While this argument was going under way, Mika and Tori were watching intently eating popcorn and enjoying the scene. It was way better than some sappy boring soap opera.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" Renji asked, paranoid at the noise that was going on. Both Byakuya and Rina whipped their heads around and glared daggers at him. He cowered behind the door.

"Yo! Ren-Ren, go sulk in your corner or something!! You're interrupting the show!" Mika told him. He actually crawled to a corner and started sulking.

"Uh…Renji, it'd be wise to close the door!!" Tori pointed out smirking at the man.

"What? Oh crap!!" he said then ran out of sight. He came back with a message. "You saw nothing!!" He said then ran out once more. The two girls focused back on the argument that they were enjoying.

"…WHAT KIND OF LOGIC IS THAT?!"

"IT'S MY LOGIC SO DEAL WITH IT!!"

"WHO KNEW YOU EVEN HAD LOGIC?!"

"I'LL GIVE YOU 10 SECONDS TO LEAVE NOW!!"

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0…LOOKS LIKE I'M NOT LEAVING!!"

"THAT'S IT!!!"

"WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? LECTURE ME ON HOW I'M BEING SO UN-LADYLIKE?!"

"WHAT EVER GAVE YOU THAT IDEA?!"

"OH I DUNNO, MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN REMINDING THAT DAMNED THING TO ME OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!!"

"YOU'RE WORSE THAN RENJI!!" (Renji: I HEARD THAT!!!)

"WELL GUESS WHAT YOU'RE WORSE THAN SCUM—I SHOULDN'T EVEN BE SAYING THAT ABOUT SCUM SINCE IT'S 100 TIMES BETTER THAN YOU!!"

Tori and Mika sat there mouths wide open in shock. They didn't think their friend would get that far. Byakuya himself was shocked as well, to be insulted in such a way especially from someone who normally wouldn't lose her temper so easily. Rina though felt like she accomplished something and hoped that something would've gotten to him. The three girls immediately left his office after 'Round 1'. Rina immediately rushed to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"YOU IDIOT!!" Mika yelled and bopped her in the head.

"WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?! I THOUGHT YOU LIKED HIM!!" Tori said—Rina spit out her water.

"…listen…I don't like him, I barely know him okay?!" she said quietly in a hoarse voice.

"…YOU SHOUTED SO MUCH THAT YOU LOST YOUR VOICE?! YOU'RE SUCH AN IDIOT!!" Mika laughed at her friend whose vocal chords were near dead. Tori joined in soon after claiming that their friend who they thought was smarter than them was a total idiot. Rina decided to let it go, she knew she was being an idiot arguing with someone that was at a much higher rank than her.