Akina was still at home the next day, unaware of what happened to her brother. She is also unaware of two figures peeking through a bush. Aizen smirked as he looks at Akina's home. He has a big surprise for him and when she sees the suit he has on, she has to accept his proposal.
"Boy, Akina is going to be very surprised." chuckled Gin.
"Yes. This is her lucky day." said Aizen smiling. He walks away, letting go of the branch he was holding. It hit Gin in the face, leaving leaves in his mouth.
Nearby are people Aizen has invited for his wedding. He got a priest and almost everything. He said, "I'd thank you all for coming to my wedding. But, before we wait any longer I guess I should go in and you know...propose to the girl!" Everyone laughed. All except Rukia, Nanao, and Orihime who cried sadly, believing their chances to marry Aizen are null now.
As Gin arrived, Aizen turned to him and said, "Okay, the moment Akina and I come through that door, you..."
"Strike up the band! I know!" said Gin as he picks up a stick and starts the band up to play "Here Comes The Bride" at a fast pace. It soon stops when Aizen hit Gin over the head with a tuba.
"Not yet!" snapped Aizen angrily.
"Sorry." groaned Gin.
Inside her home, unaware of the commotion outside, reading the book she got yesterday. When Akina heard a knock at the door, she goes over to it and looks through the peephole. She sees Aizen at the door making smirking faces. She cringes, then sighs as she opens the door letting Aizen in.
"Aizen. What a pleasant surprise." said Akina faking a smile.
"Is it, though?" Aizen asked with a smirk. "I'm just full of surprises. You are very lucky. Any girl in town would want to be you right now. Today's the day all your dreams come true."
"What do you know about my dreams, Aizen?" Akina asked, although she has a suspicion of what Aizen' thinking.
Aizen sits at the table while Akina puts her book down. "Think of this, Akina. A rusting hunting lodge. My biggest kill roasting over the fire. And my wife massaging my feet." As Aizen puts his feet on the table, Akina cringes thinking of the thought of massaging anyone's feet, let alone Aizen'. The man continues, "While the little ones will be playing on the floor with the dogs." He smiles as he stands up, "We'll have six or seven!"
"Dogs?" Akina asked uneasily.
"No, Akina! Handsome boys like me!"
"Imagine that." said Akina rolling her eyes as she cleaned her book with a cloth get the mud off and walked to the bookcase with Aizen following her.
"Do you know who that little wife will be?" asked Aizen.
"Let me think." Said Akina as she put the book in the bookcase. Aizen cornered her little body with his body in the corner of the bookcase.
"You, Akina!" Akina went under him and started putting blockades like chairs and small tables in front of him.
"Aizen, I'm…speechless. I really don't know what to say." said Akina as Aizen pushed away all the blockades and put both his hands on the side of her head, making her uneasy against the door.
"Say you'll marry me." said Aizen with a smirk before he suddenly closed his eyes and started puckering his lips and leaned in to trying kiss Akina. She turned her head away from him.
"I'm very sorry, but..." said Akina with a gulp. She managed to get to the doorknob. She said quickly, "I just don't deserve you!" She quickly opens the door and got out of the way just in time as Aizen lost his balance. He fell out of the door and right into a mud puddle outside.
Thinking this was the cue, the band begins to play as Akina closes the door and locked it. The band stops playing when they noticed Aizen in the mud puddle. Gin turns to his boss who is very upset and covered in mud.
"So, how did it go?" asked Gin hopefully.
Aizen grabs Gin angrily and yelled, "I'll have Akina as my wife! Make no mistake about that!" He threw Gin into the mud puddle and stormed off.
"Touchy." scoffed Gin.
When the wedding is obviously not going to happen, everyone has gone home. Akina opens the door and looks around, "Is he really gone?" Akina came out sighing in relief then she said angrily, "Can you imagine? He asked me to marry him! ME! The wife of that boorish, brainless..." she begins to sing as she begins to feed the animals.
Akina: Madame Aizen, can't you just see it
She puts a towel over her head making her look like a housewife.
Madame Aizen, his little wife
She took the towel off as she kicked the bucket upset.
No sir, not me, I guarantee it
I want much more than this provincial life...
She runs out into the fields. Akina sings some more.
I want adventure in the great wide somewhere
I want it more than I can tell
Akina sits on the ground and picks a flower sighing sadly.
And for once it might be grand
To have someone understand
She puts the flower down as she got up.
I want so much more than they've got planned
Akina turned and sees a familiar horse with an invention in a wagon rushing into the scene. Philippe is back but no Kaien!
"Philippe?" asked Akina concerned as she goes up to him, "What happened? Where's brother? Where is he?"
Very concerned, Akina unlocks the wagon from Philippe and said, "We got to find him! Take me where you saw him last!"
Later in the forest, Akina and Philippe rode through the forest searching for Kaien. They soon came across the same castle he stumbled onto last night.
"What is this place?" Akina asked in wonder. Philippe started to panic a bit. "Calm down, Philippe. Steady." said Akina calming her horse. Then she sees something beyond the gate and gasps. She got off of Philippe, opens the gate, went in, and picks what she saw up. It was a picture of Kaien and Akina. She gasped and looking up at the castle.
"Brother…"
Inside the castle, Izuru walked back and forth in a pace very upset as Shuhei watch.
"You have to invite him, didn't you?" asked Izuru glaring at Shuhei. "I mean, give him tea, let him sit in the master's chair, let him pet the pooch!"
"Oh blame me for being nice!" snapped Shuhei annoyed.
Just then, Akina came into the foyer. "Hello? Is there anyone here?" Akina called out.
In the kitchen, Unohana were cleaning. Suddenly Hanataro entered.
"Lady Unohana! There's a girl in the castle!" said Hanataro excited.
Unohana, who just appeared, sighs as she turns to him and said, "Now, Hanataro, don't make stories up. Now is not the time for stories."
"But really," Hanataro said as he came in. "I saw her!"
Suddenly something came into the room excited. It is a feather duster with light blue eues. Her name is Rangiku Matsumoto.
"Unohana! Unohana! I just saw a girl in the castle!" exclaimed Rangiku excited. "I'd show ya!"
"Told ya." Hanataro said smirking at her.
Unaware of the newcomer, Izuru continues insulting Shuhei.
"You irresponsible, idiotic, wax-for-brained..." said Izuru. Shuhei made a hand puppet as he mocks the clock as he crossed his eyes.
"Brother?" a voice came out. The two stopped and turned seeing Akina passed by.
"Did you see that?" gasped Shuhei in amazement towards Izuru. The two then sees Serena going down a corridor. Shuhei gasped. "It's a girl!"
"I know it's a girl." said Izuru rolling his eyes.
Shuhei got excited as he said, "That's it! The purple-haired one! She's the one! The one we have waited for all these years! She can break the spell!" Excited some more, Shuhei run after Akina with Izuru running after him yelling, "Hey! Hold up, wait a minute!"
The two goes to a door Akina had passed and opens it. It leads to the tower. Izuru hides behind the door while Shuhei begins hopping up the stairs. The commotion caught Akina's attention.
"Hello? Anyone there?" Akina asked. She then hears Shuhei hopping up the stairs. She goes to the stairs and went up them. "Wait, stop! I'm looking for my brother!" Akina yelled out as she runs up the stairs. Izuru pokes his head out from behind the door and sees Akina running up to where the prisoner is being kept.
As Akina reached the top of the tower, she tries to find the person she heard. Of course, Shuhei himself stayed frozen. "Weird. Where did he go?" asked Akina puzzled. "Is anyone here?"
"Akina?"
Akina looks shocked. It's her brother's voice! She sees that it's coming from a prison door and runs over to it. "Kaien!"
Kaien pokes his head out and smiled, "How did you find me?'
Akina feels Kaien's hands and yelped, "Oh. Your hands are like ice!" Kaien coughs a bit.
"We'd better get you outta here." Akina said.
"No! Akina, I want you to get out of here while you can!" Kaien yelled in concern.
"Who did this to you?" Akina demanded.
"Please, there is no time! You got to go, now!"
"I won't leave you!"
Suddenly a white arm came out of nowhere pulled Akina from the door. "What are you all doing here?" It was the master, the one who seized Kaien last night.
"Who is it? Who are you?" Akina asked. She looked around but there is nothing but darkness to be seen. The only light came from a hole in the roof.
"I am Ichigo, the master of this castle!" snapped Ichigo. He is hiding in the darkness and from view.
"I've come for my brother." Akina said. "You got to let him go! He is very sick!"
"It's his fault for trespassing here!"
"He'd die! Let him go! I'll do anything." Akina insisted.
"There's nothing you all could do. He's my prisoner." said Ichigo as he begins to walk off.
"There must be something I could do." Akina sighs as it looks like she's about to give up. She then thought of something. She knew she's going to regret it but it's the only way her brother can be saved.
"Wait!" Akina called out. Ichigo stops and turns to looked over his shoulder. Akina looked from her brother, then comes into the light. "I want you to take me instead."
"You?" snapped Ichigo angrily as he turned away. His expression however changed as he rethinks this. He turned to Akina in a calm voice saying, "You want to take his place?"
"Akina, don't! I won't let you do this!" yelled Kaien frantically from his prison.
"If I do, would you let him go?" Akina asked Ichigo.
"Well...yes. But you must promise to stay here and never leave."
Akina pauses to think about this. Not leaving would mean she would never see her family and friends again. But it's for her brother's sake. Akina then frowns.
"Come into the light. I want to see whom I'm talking to." Akina said.
At first, it looks like Ichigo won't do it. But eventually he came out of the darkness and into the darkness revealing himself to the group at last. She gasped when she saw what he really look like. He was a fairly tall and lean-built being with white skin and hair. His eyes consist of black pupils, white irises and black sclera. He also has black nails. Akina turned away.
"Akina, please! I won't let you do this!" begged Kaien.
With a sad sigh, Akina turns back to Ichigo with her eyes closed. She said, "You have my word."
"It's done!" yelled Ichigo. He storms over to Kaien's prison and opens the door. As Akina fell to her knees, feeling bad for what she done, Kaien, released, runs over to her.
"Serena, please listen! I lived my life!" Kaien said in concern. But then Ichigo grabs Kaien and dragged him off.
"Hey wait!" Akina yelled alarmed.
"Akina!" yelled Kaien as he is dragged away from his sister.
"Wait!" cried out Akina. But Ichigo refuses to listen as he dragged him out of the tower.
Outside, Ichigo dragged Kaien out to a carriage waiting outside.
"Come on! Spare my sister, please!" pleaded Kaien.
Ichigo ignored him however and throws him into the carriage. He yelled out, "Forget it! She isn't your concern anymore!" He then turned to the carriage, "Take him to the village and leave him there!" As the carriage moves on its own accord with Kaien inside, Akina watched from the tower window. She buried herself in her arms and cried heavily.
Ichigo climbed up back to the tower's top. Shuhei met him halfway.
"Hey, master?" Shuhei spoke up.
"What?" snapped Ichigo angrily. He isn't in the mood for one of Shuhei's speeches today.
"Well, since this girl is going to be with us and all. Perhaps maybe you could offer her a comfortable room." Shuhei suggested. His response? He gave a fierce snarl at himand continued climbing up the stairs.
"Okay, maybe not." said Shuhei with a frown.
As Ichigo entered Akina's new 'room', he sees Akina crying on the ground.
"You didn't let me say goodbye. I'd never see him again and I didn't get the chance to say goodbye." Akina said in between tears.
Hearing this, Ichigo felt guilty. He let his anger once again get the best of him. It happened the day the enchantress cursed him and turned him what he is today. He should of at least allowed Akina to say goodbye to Kaien first.
'Man, I am just a creep.' thought Ichigo. Then he remembers Shuhei's suggestion. He shrugs, 'Aw, why not? It's the least I can do to make up for what I did." As he is about to leave, he said, "Now it's time to take you to your room."
"My room?" Akina asked looking up surprised as well. "But I thought..."
"Would you rather stay in the tower?" snapped Ichigo annoyed, about to leave without her.
"No." She said.
"Good. Then come on."
Later, Ichigo led Akina through a maze of corridors. Akina looked around in amazement. She then looked back at Ichigo. Remembering what happened, she shed a tear.
Shuhei, whose was guiding them with his light, frowns. Throughout the whole walk, it was silence. He couldn't stand it anymore.
"Say something to her." Shuhei said whispering to Ichigo.
Ichigo paused to think. He then said to Akina, "I, uh, hope you liked it here." Shuhei made a 'go on' gesture. Seeing this, Ichigo continued to Akina, "Although you are now my prisoner, I won't teach you like a warden. This castle will be your home now. You are allowed to go anywhere as long as it's on the castle premises. Oh, and you all cannot go into the west wing."
"Huh?" Akina asked as she looked up, "What's in the west...?"
"IT'S FORBIDDEN!" yelled Ichigo as he turns angrily cutting her short. He then clears his throat and added, "To anyone but me. Don't ask. I will not say."
Soon they arrived at a guest room which, despite not being used in years since the castle hasn't received guests, is very nice. Ichigo opened the door and let them all in.
"Now, if you all need anything, just ask my servants." Ichigo said.
"Dinner. Ask her to dinner." Shuhei hissed to dinner. Ichigo nods and turned to Akina.
"Akina, is it?" Ichigo asked. He knew this is her name since he heard it during the whole conversion about Kaien. Akina nods sadly. Ichigo continued calmly, "You will...join me for dinner." He then yelled in a loud threatening voice, "THAT IS NOT A REQUEST!"
He slammed the door shut making her gasped. Akina sadly goes over to her bed but did not sit on it. She takes out a locket and opened it. Inside are pictures with Kaien and Akina on one side and their parents on the other. Akina buried her face in the bed and cried heavily.
