Lethal Hornet, Timid Healer

Disclaimer:

I don't own the rights to anything related to the anime Bleach

The rights to that anime belong to…other people…


Chapter 3: The Third Wheel

Her legs felt like lead, kneeling there before Ulquiorra. His spiritual pressure seemingly overwhelmed her and she began to shake with fear. What had she done to make him call for her like this? Did she anger him? Did she annoy him? Did she do anything worth praise?

All these things and more cycled through her mind in a span of five seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. He didn't turn to face her and seemed to be deep in thought. "Maybe I should come back later," she thought, attempting to leave only to reconsider. If he called for her now, he wanted to speak to her now.

It was strange how she was under his control like this, even though she was technically not his Fracción. But then again she had followed him around when they were both hollows, though it was more like '"running into him often." The slightest movement from his interlocked hands, gently resting on his lower back, put her on edge.

"Lord Ulquiorra…" she finally began, swallowing some of her fear, "You…you wished to see me?"

"Yes…" he replied, devoid of emotion. He turned to face her, revealing his stoic green eyes. He released one of his hands to rub his chin slightly before interlocking it with the other again, "I want to discuss with you your visits into the Soul Society."

She felt sick when he said that and her body nervously twitched for a brief moment. How did he find out? More importantly, should she have told him?

"Are…are you upset?"

"No…I'm more curious about why you would do such a thing…" Ulquiorra replied, receiving a somewhat confused look from the girl.

"Well…I…" she began, brushing her deep crimson hair back, "I'm not entirely sure…I suppose I go just to go." She was lying; she had a reason for going and it wasn't whim. She studied the Espada's face, unable to determine if he believed her or not.

"…Interesting…" Ulquiorra replied, turning his back on her, "You may leave if you wish…and you may enter the Soul Society as you please…But please do be careful you aren't captured, as it may interfere with Lord Aizen's plans…"

The girl nodded slightly before disappearing into darkness. She let out a small sigh of relief as she landed in one of Hueco Mundo's vast deserts. Taking a seat on the sand beneath her, she stared at Las Noches, wondering what Ulquiorra might do.

She wondered if he would tell Aizen, or if he already did that. Despite the questions she had, she was glad that Ulquiorra approved of her travels. It was a relief to know that he wasn't going to become an obstacle in her quest and she smiled as she stared at the pitch black sky of Hueco Mundo.

"What a boring place…" she mumbled, letting out a small sigh as she got to her feet. She hated Hueco Mundo's constant night time theme, preferring the human and spiritual world's alternation between night and day. She snapped her fingers, remembering a remedy to this, and pulled a golden key from her pocket. She held it out and twisted it, hearing a clicking sound as if it were unlocking a door. A glowing blue keyhole appeared and began to expand into the shape of a door. It was a deep blood red color with a skeletal figure holding a scythe embedded in it.

Behind the door was a splendor of nature. There was a bright blue sky with a healthy yellow sun, lush green grass that gently swayed in the breeze, healthy trees bearing oranges and apples, and a nice little lake that sparkled in the sun.

There was even a night and day switch installed!

Originally, it had been a training room designed by Gin for the Arrancar. Lord Aizen, however, saw it more as Gin's attempt to get away with being lazy, as it was designed more for luxury than combat, and eventually made him abandon it.

The reason she knew this was because of Gin's habit of making small talk with anyone who entered his work area. He, at one point, gave her the key, saying that it was pointless for him to hold onto it any longer.

With a little pestering and begging, she was able to receive Aizen's approval to make it her own little abode. She took in a deep breath and sighed with content before plopping down on the warm grass. It was a nice feeling, much better than the cold of Hueco Mundo's sand. A small yawn escaped her mouth and she slowly closed her deep blue eyes, falling into dreams of when she first met "him."

-Flashback: Rooftops of Karakura Town-

It was not too long ago; in fact she believed it was sometime after Lord Aizen had set up permanent residence in Hueco Mundo. Back then she was still an Adjuchas-class Hollow, her resemblance being linked to that of a black fox with her mask and armor covered fur complimenting that comparison.

The eye holes of her mask were slanted with red markings, shaped like a U with a dash extending from the bottom curve under each of them. Her canines were jagged with a slight red tint, courtesy of all the hollows she'd been devouring, and her bright blue eyes were an intimidating gold with a blue ring around them.

She specifically remembered it as a dark and rainy night. It was a dry spell for her, a desperate hunt to find enough souls to satisfy her hunger or one unfortunate Hollow. She could always try a living soul, but she wasn't that desperate.

Just thinking about the disgusting taste and smell made her sick.

Her stomach growled at her for neglecting it and pestered her as she leapt from rooftop to rooftop. She abruptly halted her movements, nearly falling off the ledge of the building she was about to leap off, and slowly scanned her surroundings before licking her lips.

"Souls…two of them…sweet smelling…" she mumbled with hunger in her voice. Her noise twitched and sniffed to find her next meals, eventually pointing her in the right direction.

She arrived in what appeared to be a shopping district and, still sticking to the rooftops, she scanned the area for her prey. The place was almost devoid of humans, save for the convenience stores that were still open around this time. Her nose sniffed around again and she let out a small sneeze.

She stared up at the sky, rain dripping into her eyes. She cursed the rain, considering how she always seemed to find less food when it came. This was due to the odd fact that it seemed to warp her sense of smell and her ability to sense spiritual pressure, which seemed to lower to an annoying extent.

Quietly, she curled into a ball and stared over the edge of the building she was lying on. It's not like she would die if she didn't eat any souls, but it's not pleasant to be starving all the time.

"This sucks…" she mumbled, letting out a small groan of pain as her head began to throb. She wouldn't die, but she did need to eat something, otherwise she'd end up losing all the progress she's made as a hollow and be consumed by the very hollows she consumed, as in she'd become one of those mindless disgraces she sees every now and then.

It took her an extremely long time to get here, and she wasn't about to let her attempts to become a Vasto Lorde be in vain.

Her head shot up and her ears twitched when she heard someone screaming. She followed the sound, licking her lips as she sensed a tasty amount of spiritual pressure, and came upon an alleyway. There she saw a young girl in the grasp of a big ugly hollow by the name of "Big Shot." His skin was a sickly green color with golden scales on various places of his body. He had a long, sharp tail along with sharp claws and feet. His mask resembled a snake, which was also complimented by the way he held his Ss.

She despised that Hollow, having had the displeasure of running into him more than a few times. He was a lecher, a creep, and an overall jerk. Once, he even attempted to kill her, something she never had the chance to repay him for…That is until now…

Quietly she moved closer to the scene, sharpening her claws against the concrete of the building she was on. She groaned in disgust as she listened to his voice, taunting the soul he was about to eat.

"Sssssorry, my dear…" he hissed and cackled, "But ssssurely you underssstand that a Hollow like me must eat to ssssurvive."

The next thing she saw was a streak of red light, followed by a pained yell as Big Shot's arm was sliced off. He clutched the hole where his arm used to be in pain, growling as blood spilled out. "Wh-where do you think you're going," he growled at the girl who was now freeing herself from his severed grip.

He looked up and glared at the Soul Reaper standing a few feet away. "You did thisss to me…didn't you…" he barked, whipping his tail against the ground. The Hollow girl watched this with interest, and slowly examined the boy. He had short, black hair and a white sack slung over his shoulder. In his right hand was a tiny scalpel that let out a stream of red smoke.

"Was that the thing he used against that loser," she wondered to herself, examining the tiny zanpakuto, "That thing's a mere butter knife. Hmph…there's no way it could've done that…"

The female soul thanked the young Soul Reaper before fleeing. Big Shot growled at him, but began to laugh. In fact, he laughed so hard that the female Hollow thought he'd lost his mind. His laughter eventually died down, followed by him wiping away a stray tear with his still attached arm.

"While I'm upssset that you caused me to lossse me prey," he began, casually scratching his claws against the ground to produce an ear piercing sound. Slowly, his tail slid along the ground behind any cover it could find as Big Shot kept the boy's eyes on him. "I'm glad that you'll more than make up for her, Ssssoul Reaper!" With that, his tail quickly circled the boy and squeezed him so hard that he dropped his zanpakuto.

Big Shot laughed as the boy let out a small yelp when the Hollow tightened his grip again. He lifted his hand to squeeze the boy's throat and used his index claw to produce a superficial wound around it. The female Hollow watched with hunger and pity as a tiny ring of blood formed around the boy's neck.

"What should I do…" she mumbled, clasping onto the edge of the building she was on so tightly that it left impressions of her hands, as she began cycling through reasons why she should or shouldn't interfere.

"Well…I don't like Big Shot and interfering would really piss him off. I could kill two birds with one stone, first Big Shot and then the Soul Reaper, considering how weakened they are right now. Then again, Big Shot is tougher than I suspected he'd be the last time we fought…But, that'll just make victory that much sweeter when I win…"

She also considered the Soul Reaper to be a tad bit adorable.

Her thoughts were interrupted by his pained groans and, letting out a sigh, she leapt from the building. She flexed her claws and dug them into Big Shot's back, causing the Hollow to howl in pain.

"You again," he screamed, releasing his grip on the Soul Reaper, "I knew I should've killed you!"

The female Hollow rolled her eyes and dug her claws deeper into his back. He attempted to shake her off only to find that she just kept digging deeper. His tail shot off the ground to swat her away, but she hopped off his back in time for him to end up swatting himself.

"You bra-ugh…" he howled, losing his second arm to the female Hollow's hunger. She licked her crimson stained teeth with content, but her eyes stared at him hungrily. "You w-wouldn't dare…" he stammered, shrinking away from her only to find his back against a wall. She slowly approached him, letting out a small, pity filled chuckle.

"Look at you…Mr. Big Shot himself being taken down by a 'pathetic wench of a Hollow'," she laughed bitterly, "It's a tad bit ironic, isn't?" She was mere inches away from him now and began to slowly extend her left hand towards him. The sight of her claws reaching towards him like that caused him to panic and lash out with his tail. On his part, that was a mistake because she easily caught and bit off the tail with her mouth.

"C'mon, A-April…Sssssweetheart…I didn't mean what I said, please don't kill me…"

He let out another howl as April stabbed him with her other claws and tore him open. Hanataro watched this display in captivated horror. He's heard about Hollows devouring each other for strength, but he never believed he'd see it happen like this. He clasped his hands against his ears to block out Big Shot's screams as April devoured him and closed his eyes to avoid watching.

He wanted to run away, to leave before she was done and came for him next. But the screams, the smell, everything weighed him down to the ground and forced him to stay put. The screams eventually faded away, replaced by sickening cracks and then silence. The smell disappeared too and Hanataro slowly opened his eyes.

He regretted doing that as April was only a few inches away from him.

"Hmmm…that was an interesting attack…Soul Reaper…" she said, wrapping her bushy black tail around him. She gently lifted him off the ground and reached for him. He jerked away, causing her hand to twitch slightly. She glanced down at it, retracted her claws, and reached for him again. He tried to keep out of reach, but it was pointless as she just pulled him closer, gently brushing her hand against his cheek.

"Wha-what are you doing," he asked, shaking slightly. She let out a small "hmmm" and continued her actions.

He really did look adorable.

She smiled slightly and brushed his hair back so she could see his blue eyes better. "It really would be a shame to kill you…" she thought out loud, causing panic in the young Soul Reaper.

"Luckily, you won't get the chance!"

Hanataro and April's eyes snapped to the voice's source. "I-Ichigo," the young Soul Reaper exclaimed, obviously relieved. April let out a low growl aimed at the Substitute Soul Reaper for interrupting her. She became even more agitated when she saw the two Soul Reapers with him, who Hanataro identified as "Rukia" and "Renji."

"Let him go…or else…" Ichigo demanded April, reaching for the unusual zanpakuto on his back. It intimidated her to an extent, considering its massive size and abnormal design. She subconsciously tightened her grip on the boy, causing him to let out a pained yelp. "Alright, you had your chance," Ichigo exclaimed, leaping towards the Hollow with his zanpakuto held high.

She quickly released her grip on Hanataro and barely avoided Ichigo's attack in time. She glanced at her bleeding tail and shot a glare at the orange haired boy.

"Are you okay, Hanataro," Ichigo asked, never taking his eyes off April. The boy nodded, having been caught by Rukia during his brief freefall, something that caused this strange emotion to bubble inside April, "Good…now, where were we?" Ichigo raised his zanpakuto again and prepared another attack only to be taken off guard by a quick Cero from April.

The blast created a cloud of dust that allowed the Hollow to quickly escape the Soul Reapers.

"Hanataro…" she mumbled, glancing over her shoulder. She was glad she learned his name; maybe later she could find him and kill him, just to spite the orange haired Soul Reaper and his friends.

At least…that's what she wanted at first…

-Present Day-

"Wake up April," a brash female voice demanded. April let out a small sigh and opened her eyes, spotting a familiar Arrancar with heterochromia. "Finally," the other Arrancar exclaimed, taking a bite out of the apple she was holding, "But I'm kinda disappointed you aren't dead."

"What do you want, Apache, and how the hell did you get here," April asked, obviously irritated by the Arrancar's presence. Apache smirked at this, taking another bite of the apple, and chuckled. She shouldn't have been able to find or enter this place by herself, even by sensing April's spiritual pressure.

"Awww, did I wake the little bitch from her nap," she mockingly asked, this time laughing at April. April clenched her fists, irritated by Apache's behavior. She knew this was part of Apache's 'game', her trap, to be as annoying and rude to her as she could. However, that didn't keep April from walking into it and losing her cool. More often than not, this escalates to a fight that either Ulquiorra or Harribel have to stop.

"What do you want…and how did you get here…" April asked again, this time in a more reserved manner. Apache seemed irritated by this and threw the apple she was eating at April, though she easily caught the fruit and took a bite from it as a sort of mockery towards Apache.

"Lord Aizen wants to see us…He sent me here…" she grumbled, dipping her hands into her pockets. That explains a lot, but why would Aizen want to see them? Was he angry at them for something…or…Did he find out about April's visits to the Soul Society?

The thought of what he might do frightened her, especially when she remembered what Tosen did to Grimmjow.

"Hey, snap out of it," Apache growled, snapping her fingers to gain April's attention, "Get your ass up, I don't want to take any heat if Lord Aizen gets upset with us because you took your sweet time!"

"I'm coming, geez…" April groaned, lifting herself from the ground. "Let's go…"

"Heh, I'll race you there," Apache boasted, making a dash towards the red door. She kicked it open, quickly grasping onto the doorframe to keep herself from falling into the abyss behind it. April sighed, pulling Apache back into the room, and closed the door. She opened it again to reveal the deserts of Hueco Mundo and performed a "after you" gesture.

Apache quickly disappeared, grumbling as she did so. She landed within five miles of Las Noches and smirked, turning around to see how far back April was. Her smirk turned into a frown when she saw April, with her hands casually tucked in her pockets, walking towards her when she was at least five miles back. "Hurry up, you stupid, bitch," she barked, only to pause when she noticed April wasn't there anymore.

A quick breeze rushed past her and she growled in anger before quickly making her way to Las Noches. "Damn, cheater…" she mumbled, eventually arriving in Aizen's throne room.

"Took you long enough," April laughed, receiving an annoyed look from the other Arrancar. Before Apache could reply, Sun-Sun let out a small cough to remind them where they were.

"Nice of you two losers to join us," Grimmjow smirked receiving an annoyed look from the girls, "It's not nice to keep Lord Aizen and the rest of us waiting, hell, it's downright disrespectful!"

"Shut the hell up, Grimmjow," Apache snapped, which apparently amused the former Espada.

"Now, now, now, there's no need for such behavior, Grimmjow," Aizen said, leaning back in his throne, "I'm glad you two are here, as I have an important task for you…Would you kindly come forward?"

They complied and took a knee before the former Soul Reaper Captain.

"What is it you need us to do, Lord Aizen," April asked, avoiding eye contact with the man. Apache remained silent, somewhat relieved that April had spoken for both of them. Aizen let out a small chuckle and revealed a delicious looking red apple that glistened as it sat in the room's light.

"What is it?"

"It's an apple," Aizen chuckled, "It's part of an old experiment of mine that I've decided to revive, if only for a short time."

"What do we have to do, Lord Aizen," Apache asked, somewhat timidly.

"That's simple: I want you to take this apple, go to the human world, and feed this to a Soul Reaper," Aizen smiled. "That's all you need to do."

"Understood…but…" April timidly began, feeling the eyes of everyone in the room fall upon her, "Why send the two of us?"

"I'm glad you asked that," Aizen chuckled, playfully tossing and catching the apple with one hand, "You see, it's for insurance purposes. Apache is a bit violent and quick to get into a fight, such as when she decided to sneak into Karakura town earlier today, and would be killed by the Soul Reapers there without having accomplished her mission."

Grimmjow laughed at this, "That was pretty stupid of you!"

"Coming from the idiot who's Fracción were all killed because of his foolishness," Ulquiorra sighed, receiving a glare from the former 6th Espada.

"Ulquiorra is right, Grimmjow," Luppi grinned, folding his arms in a childish manner.

Aizen cleared his throat, interrupting whatever nasty comeback Grimmjow was cooking up. "Now where was I…Ah, that's right," he smiled, taking a slight pause, "If I were to send you, April, by yourself you'd be an uncontrolled factor."

"Uncontrolled factor?"

"Yes, meaning you'd add an unknown variable into my experiment," he replied, tossing the apple to the crimson haired girl, "If it weren't for that, I would send you alone. In fact, you'd be perfect for this little test considering your abilities. Besides, you two would be able to cover each other's backs in case you find yourselves in a fight."

"That is if they don't stab each other there first," Grimmjow laughed, receiving annoyed looks from the two girls again, "C'mon Lord Aizen, I should be the one doing this! It'll give me another chance to crush that Soul Reaper I met last time!"

"What a fool," Luppi sighed, receiving a glare from Grimmjow.

"When do we start..." April asked, still staring at the apple.

"Tomorrow," Aizen replied, waving his hand a bit, "This concludes our meeting, you're all dismissed now."

-The next day: The streets of Karakura Town-

It wasn't foreign to her, the human world that is.

Soifon had been there before, but that was for business.

"This is for pleasure," she thought to herself, glancing at Hanataro and blushing a little, "Maybe 'pleasure' is the wrong word...Interest, maybe…yes that's more like it."

She nodded to herself, adjusting the black leather jacket she was wearing. Hanataro noticed this and glanced over at her, examining her attire. It consisted of the previously mentioned jacket, blue jeans held up by a black belt with a gold colored cat shaped buckle, a sky blue shirt, and black shoes.

It was actually refreshing to see her like this, in 'normal' attire. It puts her in a more informal light, a light that made him forget her status as a Captain and relax around her.

"Hanataro," her voice rang through his ears, snapping him out of his trance. Though her voice was calm and at a reasonable level, the authority it held reminded him of her status again and caused him to grow tense.

"Ye-yes?"

"What do humans do here…What they do for 'fun'," she asked with an air of curiosity. Hanataro paused for a moment, placing a hand on his chin and humming slightly.

"Well, uuuhhh…they do lots of things like…" he paused again, cycling through some common human activities, "Play video games."

"Those childish devices," she asked, cocking an eyebrow. She analyzed Hanataro's taken aback look and let out a small 'I mean' cough, "What else do they do?"

"Well…they read novels and manga."

She thought about this for a moment, "Why?"

"For fun."

She hummed slightly, turning her back to him as she went into deep thought. Usually when she had to read, she read documents; long, boring documents. She had never read a novel or manga even in her free time, which she spent training.

"Where do humans get these novels and manga?"

"Well, in book stores usually. I'll take you to one…I mean, that is if you'd like me to…" he said, feeling a bit embarrassed. Soifon smiled and nodded, following his lead.

As they proceeded to the nearest bookstore, Soifon examined her surroundings. She was fascinated, to an extent, by the cars that passed them. She liked the color of one particular car, black with yellow stripes, but was unimpressed with their speed and noted how she could walk faster than them.

But, considering their lack of Flash Step among other abilities, she understood why humans used such slow methods of travel. Her attention went back to Hanataro when he announced that they had arrived at their destination.

She glanced at the building; it was differently designed than the ones she was used to seeing in the Soul Society, but then again so were the other buildings she'd seen so far in this world. They proceeded inside and she felt a slight chill, considering the temperature difference between the store and outside.

"Tell me a bit more about novels and manga," Soifon requested, staring at the shelves of books before her.

"Well, they're stories…usually fiction…And uhh…there's different types," Hanataro replied, leading her through the store. "There's Comedy, Drama, Action/Adventure, Horror," Hanataro listed, pointing at section signs, "…R-romance…"

There was a slight pause in his actions and he blushed at saying the word.

"A-nd there's Fantasy…" he continued, leading Soifon as far away from the "R" section as he could. Soifon glanced back at it, a slight curiosity developing in her.

"There are also sections that work on appealing to certain types of people, like this section," Hanataro stated, rounding a book shelf, "This section is aimed more at young g…irls?"

Hanataro froze with confusion when he saw who was there: a familiar orange-haired Substitute Soul Reaper. Ichigo was slowly shifting through the manga lining the shelves, eventually pulling out one with a hot pink cover. "Ugh…finally," Hanataro heard him mumble before he checked the item's price tag, "Thank god, I've got enough money for…it…?"

He slowly turned to see Hanataro standing a few feet away, which nearly caused Ichigo to drop the manga. On its cover was a white chibi-style, supposedly female, bunny with a cool sword raised over her head. Hanataro slowly read over the manga's title: "Super Cool Bunny Girl: Love Conquers All! Volume 3." Ichigo noticed him reading it and quickly put the manga behind his back, "This…this isn't what it looks like, Hanataro…I was just getting this because Rukia…"

"Oh, it's you, Kurosaki…" Soifon flatly stated, sighing as she revealed herself. Ichigo's nervousness turned into obvious confusion. His eyes shifted between the two and he eventually remembered what Hanataro had told him yesterday, which caused his eyes to widen with disbelief.

"What are you looking at," Soifon 'asked,' her arms folded in irritation.

"Uh…can you excuse us for a moment," Ichigo nervously laughed before casually walking over to Hanataro and dragging him around a nearby bookshelf.

After they took a seat on the floor, Ichigo leaned towards the young healer. "Hanataro…" he whispered, obviously surprised, "What are you doing here with Soifon?"

"W-well, she asked me to come with her to the human world as a guide…"

"Oh, I guess that makes sense…But I'm pretty sure she's been here before…" Ichigo shook his head as if trying to focus and leaned closer, "Is she the…you know…the girl you have a crush on?"

"W-well…maybe…"

Ichigo smirked at this, and patted Hanataro on the back. "You know, that's pretty brave of you, trying to put the moves on a Captain," he joked, "I'll make sure your funeral shows you as the true hero you are."

Even though Ichigo was joking, his joke made Hanataro nervous.

"Captain," that word alone kept Hanataro in line when speaking with Soifon. Ichigo was right, if he did something to upset or anger her she could really hurt him and get away with it. He gulped nervously at this thought, receiving a quietly concerned look from Ichigo.

"Relax, Hanataro…I was only joking about the funeral stuff," he chuckled slightly, scratching his head. Hanataro nodded and smiled slightly, relaxing as he remembered what Byakuya had told him yesterday.

"…So…have you put the moves on her?"

"On who?"

Ichigo and Hanataro slowly turned their heads to see Soifon peering over the book shelf at them, frowning slightly at the fact that they were conversing secretively. They stammered, choking on and tripping over their words as they tried to come up with an excuse.

"What were you two talking about," she asked, this time more aggressively, "Who's putting what moves on who?"

"Uh…No one's putting the moves on anyone," Ichigo replied, scrambling to his feet. "We were just…talking about anime! That's right, anime! You wouldn't be interested."

"On the contrary, I am-"

"See you two later," Ichigo quickly interrupted, grabbing the bunny manga and running off. Soifon watched with irritation as the boy disappeared around a corner and she promptly turned to Hanataro before hopping over the book shelf, folding her arms and towering over the seated Soul Reaper as she stared at him.

"What were you two really talking about," she calmly asked. Hanataro repeated what Ichigo had said and Soifon, with a sigh that showed she didn't buy his lie, dropped the subject. She asked Hanataro to show her what else humans do for fun, but first, she ventured back into the Romance section of the store. Hanataro reluctantly followed her, blushing as she went further and further into the "R" section.

She carefully examined the novels there, reading their titles then flipping them over to read their summaries. She did this for about thirty minutes or so until she found a book of particular interest. Maybe it was the title, "Black Cat: Kimi's Desire," that interested her; maybe it was the cover's drawing, one of a black cat resting on a white dog that appeared to be slightly larger than it. The cat seemed to be staring directly at her with its piercing yellow eyes, showing a sort of possessiveness over the dog as its claws rested on the dog's belly. The white dog seemed to stare at her too, but with less aggressive, blue eyes that seemed to welcome the cat's behavior.

She slowly reached for the book, brushing her fingers along the cover, and lifted it from its place on the shelf. "I-I'll get that," Hanataro stated as he went to pick up a book Soifon had accidently knocked off the shelf. She nodded slightly, not really paying attention, and flipped the book over.

Its summary read: "Kimi, a young black cat, comes from a prestigious Japanese family. As a result of her pampered lifestyle, she tends to be stuck up and antagonistic towards anyone "beneath her." One day, she comes across a young dog that, to an extent, saves her life. From that day forth, a strange bond develops between the two; a bond that grows stronger each and every day."

It was more or less the classic love story summary, but it interested Soifon. After she purchased the book and they left the store, Hanataro began telling her a few more things humans did for fun.

"What do they do when they have picnics," Soifon asked as they took a seat on a wooden bench.

"Well…they bring food to the park and eat it," Hanataro replied, trying to remember more details, "They also play games, like throwing Frisbees."

Soifon hummed a bit and lifted herself from the bench. Interlocking her hands behind her back, she slowly began to walk forward. Hanataro reluctantly followed her, but stopped when she abruptly did so. She quietly looked at the humans around her. There were many couples around, a sight that caused a strange feeling to bubble up inside her. The way they tightly held each other, the way she saw one girl resting her tired little head on her boyfriend's shoulders, the way they…kissed…

It made her feel downright envious, though she kept it from showing.

"Hanataro…" she finally spoke after a few minutes had passed, "Do you…do you like being here with me?"

The question threw Hanataro off guard, to say the least. "Well, I-I-huh?" He froze when she suddenly turned and walked towards him.

"I-is she angry at me," he thought to himself as he took several steps back in order to keep a favorable distance between him and Soifon, letting out a small yelp when he fall back onto the bench. He was trapped; his body trembled as she leaned in closer and closer until he could feel the 'fire' in her eyes.

Then, she pulled back, revealing that she was merely picking up her book, and smiled uncomfortably. "You're not afraid of me, are you," she joked, putting Hanataro at relative ease. She offered her hand and lifted him from the bench, "C'mon, let's go have a picnic."

-Earlier that day on the rooftops of Karakura Town-

Apache was impatiently waiting for April to show up, tossing the apple around in an attempt to pass time. After what seemed like hours, Apache spotted April on the edge of a nearby building, gazing at the streets below her. Apache let out an irritated sigh before leaping off the building she was on and flying over to her temporary partner, grumbling, "Finally…"

"Took you long enough," she growled as she appeared next to the red-haired Arrancar, "I almost thought you chickened out and decided to hide in that pathetic little clubhouse of yours." Apache laughed at this, which quickly faded when she realized April wasn't paying attention to her. She noticed three things when she examined April: her fists were clenched, she was shaking, and she really looked upset.

"…Hey…is something wrong," Apache asked, showing actual concern. April shook her head and mumbled something before continuing her stare towards the streets below them. Apache stared down as well, spotting what April was looking at: A couple. She smirked at this and placed a hand on April's shoulder, "Jealous?"

"As a matter of fact," April snapped, brushing Apache's hand off, "No…" She paused when she saw the couple leave and she began to follow after them.

"Where are you going? We still have this stupid apple we have to deal with and-"

"Do it yourself, I don't have time to babysit you," April groaned, shaking her head before leaving a stunned Apache.

April could hardly believe Hanataro would do this to her, spending time with another woman after all they've done together. "That…bitch," she growled as Soifon leaned so close to Hanataro that she could feel them kissing.

"He's pretty cute, don't you think," Apache asked with a smirk, receiving a glare from April.

"Stay away from him or else I'll-"

"Whoa, whoa, c-calm down, April," Apache nervously commanded, taking a step back. April paused for a moment, still glaring at Apache, before turning her attention back to the couple below them. Normally Apache would be ecstatic about finding a new way to annoy April, but, considering how fiercely the Arrancar just threatened her, she was reluctant to exploit this.

Then she had an idea.

"You know, April," Apache slyly began, pacing back and forth in a calculating manner, "It really is a shame how that girl's moving in on your territory." April didn't look at her, but Apache knew she was listening, as shown by her slight nod, "You know what I think you should do, huh? I think you should go down there and show that bitch who's the boss!"

April remained silent and nodded again, smiling vengefully at Soifon.

-A secluded area in the Park-

Soifon and Hanataro were quietly sitting on a nice blue blanket, with snacks and goodies laid out before them.

"Go ahead," Soifon said after minutes of silence and staring between her and Hanataro, receiving a confused look from the boy, "Eat, or else all this food will go to waste, along with the funds we used to buy them…"

"I think you should eat first, Captain," Hanataro replied, easing up a bit. She cocked an eyebrow at this, feeling slightly uncomfortable as the word "Captain" served as a barrier of sorts, slowing the progress of their relationship past 'formality'. Though, she wasn't fully sure of how she felt about the boy, she was sure that she wanted to find out and eliminate any obstacles that could prevent her from doing so.

Nodding, she smiled slightly and reached for a rice ball, taking a bite, which prompted Hanataro to reach for one as well. They sat there, quietly eating, for several minutes with both wondering what to do next; it wouldn't be much of a picnic if all they did was eat.

"So…how have you been doing since I left the hospital," Soifon asked, breaking the silence.

"I've been doing well…" Hanataro replied, finishing his rice ball, "It's been a little boring since you left though." She smiled at this, something that made him smile as well. Her smile turned upside down when she remembered what had happened yesterday between him and some Squad 11 members, and the fact that she found him dangling by a rope earlier today.

"Are you sure? Considering what happened yesterday and today…"

"I'm used to it," Hanataro replied, trying to force a smile. Soifon's eyes softened as she watched this, finding it understand why Hanataro didn't stand up for himself; then again, members of Squad 11 are vicious fighters and members of Squad 4 aren't as well trained in fighting as they are.

From what she's learned, it also isn't exactly in Hanataro's nature to fight. She could draft him to her squad so she could keep a closer eye on him, maybe teach him how to defend himself, but the difficulties he'd face would only increase and he'd need a good amount of training to be efficient in her Squad.

"Captain Soifon…is something wrong," Hanataro asked as she got to her feet. He watched her walk around a bit, slowly feeling a strange, but faint, spiritual pressure. It felt like a hollow's, but it also felt like a Soul Reaper's, if only faintly.

It reminded him of May's.

"What an interesting sight this is," a mysterious voice mused, "The great Captain Soifon pathetically trying to woo some young boy like to cougar she is!"

"Show yourself," Soifon demanded, feeling the spiritual pressure grow stronger. The voice let out a condescending laugh and complied, revealing herself to be an Arrancar wearing a white, form fitting outfit and a fox mask made of bone that only revealed the lower half of her face. Holding what Soifon assumed to be her zanpakuto behind her back was a bushy red tail. She brushed back her crimson hair and arrogantly walked towards the two Soul reapers, smiling, "Remember me?"

Soifon froze as she set her eyes on the woman who had slain her squad and left her for dead a month ago, her shocked expression slowly twisting into a murderous glare.

"You'll wish I didn't…" Soifon growled, popping a Soul Candy into her mouth. "Take Hanataro and run," she commanded the Mod Soul that had taken residence in her fallen gigai, before turning her attention back to the Arrancar.

"O-okay…" the Mod Soul timidly replied, pulling herself from the ground and dusting herself off before turning to Hanataro, "Pl-please come with me, sir." He stammered a bit, as if he were against the idea of running away. "Please, don't disobey me," the Mod Soul stated in a chilling tone that shocked Hanataro before she grabbed him by the wrist and led him away.

"Don't worry, Hanataro, this won't take long" Soifon assured him, receiving a nod from the boy, almost tripping over himself as the Mod Soul continued to lead him away from the imminent fight, "Now, where were we?"

"You were losing, remember?"

"I admit that you caught me off guard last time," Soifon sighed, throwing off her Captain's coat, "This time you won't be so lucky!"

"Says you," the Arrancar laughed, her mask turning into two fox ear shaped horns on her head, revealing the upper half of her face, "You should be glad that I even spared your miserable life! Now, let me ask you one, simple question: What do you think you're doing here with Hanataro?"

"Wha-what…why do you…" Soifon stammered, her face turning a light shade of red, before becoming enraged, "This has nothing to do with Hanataro! This is about what you did to my squad and now I'm going to make you pay for their lives!"

"I'm a little short on change," the Arrancar laughed, taking her zanpakuto from her tail and pointing it at Soifon, "I hope this is suitable." She tilted her head in surprise, discovering Soifon had disappeared. She waited a moment, a series of 'swoosh' sounds gracing her ears, and felt a strong, sharp kick to her back that sent her flying into a nearby tree.

"You really shouldn't have let your guard down like that," Soifon advised the Arrancar, disappearing to perform another attack. The Arrancar scoffed at this, easily blocking Soifon's kick and grabbing her airborne leg, twisting it. Soifon grunted in pain, delivering a kick with her free leg to the Arrancar's stomach.

The Arrancar pulled back to avoid the kick and disappeared into the trees. Soifon quickly chased after her, arriving in a clearing where at least twenty people were doing various activities, ranging from having a picnic to playing Frisbee.

"Damn," she mumbled when she realized the dilemma she was in, her shadow suddenly stretching out before her as a strange light glowed behind her. She turned to see the Arrancar hovering over her with an orange Cero charging in her right hand, smiling as she waved goodbye before unleashing the blast. Soifon quickly casted a low level kido spell that negated the Cero on contact.

While she did that, the Arrancar created another, this time faster, blast aimed directly at the ground, creating an explosion that was barely blocked by Soifon. When the dust cleared, a crescent shaped crater was created and the people nearby began to panic, running away in fear.

"Arrancar, this is between you and me, not these humans," Soifon growled, charging at the Arrancar.

"The name's April, by the way," she smirked, countering Soifon's kick with one of her own. She prepared another Cero, but Soifon grabbed and twisted her wrist, a grunt of pain escaping the Arrancar as she glared at Soifon. Quickly, Soifon grabbed April's right sleeve and ripped it off, freezing in disbelief at what she didn't see.

April took this moment to distance herself from the Captain, a smug smile stretching across her face, "Are you looking for that cute little tattoo you gave me a month ago?" She flexed her right arm, twisting and turning it to show Soifon her butterfly mark wasn't there.

"It wasn't really my thing, so I removed it."

"How?"

"That's a secret for now," April grinned, engaging Soifon in more hand to hand combat. "Whoa, you've improved," April mocked, though she was somewhat impressed by the fact that Soifon was able to match her attacks, "But, I won't even need to release my zanpakuto to beat yo-ugh!"

Soifon kneed her in the gut and, after using her as a stepping stone, planted her feet in April's back and drove her into the ground below. She twisted her feet in the fallen Arrancar's back, a quiet groan of pain escaping her, "You were say…ing?"

Soifon felt a strange energy seeping from April, a feeling of unease washing over her. Cautiously, she kicked April onto her back, a shocked expression appearing on the Captain's face as she stared into April's literally hollow eyes. Her mouth hung open, revealing jagged teeth, and her body looked like a frail skeleton.

"But…I can still sense…"

"There's your answer," April stated in a bored fashion.

Soifon turned to see 'herself' reading "Black Cat" and could hardly believe the sight before her. The fake Soifon smiled at her and tossed the book to her, "Seems like a good read…A tough cat latching onto a defenseless puppy…"

The fake Soifon's blue eyes grew dark, her body fading away like dust blowing in the wind as April appeared next to her, "I have an interesting ability, as you can see, though that 'shell' of me you saw was just a little Nightmare Fuel gift from me to you…But I can only use my ability twice a day and…Uh!"

Both of them were suddenly focused on a familiar spiritual pressure that began to fluctuate, alternating between spiking and dropping drastically, until it eventually started to fade.

"Hanataro!"

-Elsewhere in the Park-

The Mod Soul was still forcefully leading Hanataro, causing him to run into more than a few trees before she finally slowed down. "That's far enough, I-I think…" the Mod Soul thought out loud, glancing down at Hanataro, who was covered in dirt and various debris, "A-are you okay, sir?"

"I'm fine…" Hanataro groaned, picking twigs and grass out of his hair. He stared in the direction they just came from, hoping Soifon would be okay. He let out a surprised yelp when the Mod Soul suddenly lifted him to his feet and began to vigorously dust him off, spinning him in order to get the remaining dust off which made him dizzy.

"Th-there, now you're all c-clean," she timidly stated, giving him a thumbs up.

"Thanks," he said dizzily, falling down and dirtying himself again. The Mod Soul leaned over him, extremely worried. She apologized, asking him forgiveness, and pulled him from the ground again.

"That's okay…" he replied, chuckling slightly, "You were only trying to help…uhhh…What's your name?"

"Th-thank you for understanding, sir, and its Cammy," she blushed. It was weird to be called "sir," especially by a Captain; even though she only looked like Soifon, it was still weird. Her timid nature also added a refreshing quality that Soifon lacked; it made her look even cuter than before. Hanataro looked away when he realized he'd been staring at her for too long.

She tilted her head in confusion and curiosity, slowly approaching Hanataro. Suddenly, she turned around and scanned the area, her body tensing as her eyes narrowed.

"…I sense great danger, sir…" she whispered, hearing a ruffling sound in the trees. Hanataro let out a small yelp when someone suddenly jumped from the trees and grabbed him from behind. Cammy quickly turned and helplessly watched as the mysterious figure wrapped their arm around Hanataro's neck

"Let him go," Cammy demanded, taking an offensive stance, "Or else…"

"Or else what, bitch," the white clad figure mocked, tightening her grip around Hanataro's neck, "If you move an inch, I'll kill him! So be a good brat and just stay put."

Apache revealed the apple, gently dangling it in front of Hanataro's face and grinning slyly, "Eat this and I'll let you go…maybe…"

Hanataro stared at the delicious looking apple, barely catching sight of his own reflection in the strangely polished object. What he could see frightened him; his eyes were black and his irises had a strange yellow color, glowing as his skin seemed to turn pale. He stammered, adamantly shaking his head as he struggled to free himself from Apache's grip, "No…I won't eat it!"

Apache let out an irritated growl, "Eat or…"

She paused for a moment, a grin slowly manifesting on her face as she raised the apple to her lips, "…In fact…fine, I'll just feed it to you." With that, she took a huge bite out of the apple. Hanataro watched in horror as she removed two pieces from her mouth, literally dripping with her saliva.

"That's disgusting-ugh!"

Apache forced the pieces into his mouth, receiving a disgusted groan from the boy as she forced him to chew and swallow. Forcing the apple into his face, she threatened to repeat what she did unless he did as he was told. He nodded slightly, taking steady bites from the apple before suddenly realizing something: the apple tasted good. It tasted sour, with a little sweetness to balance it out, and left a refreshing taste in his mouth.

Suddenly, he stopped chewing as a strange and taste filled his mouth and squirmed down his throat, causing him to violently cough and dry heave. His stomach started to hurt, as if someone had stabbed him with an ice pick, and he felt his body go numb. Slowly, his consciousness faded as he slumped over and onto the ground, the last thing he heard being someone calling out his name.

Apache tossed him to Cammy and threw what was left of the apple to the ground, mockingly calling her a "good girl" as a smug grin appeared on her face. Cammy tried to wake Hanataro up, a sight that caused Apache to let out a small laugh as she openly stated how 'pathetic' she was being. "Hmmm…well I guess it's time for me to leave," she stated, opening a Garganta back to Hueco Mundo when she sensed April and Soifon approaching.

Unfortunately for her, April was completely unhappy to see Apache. "Apache," she growled, her blue eyes consumed with a dark rage as she tackled Apache into the portal, sending them both back as Soifon arrived at Hanataro's side.

"Hanataro," Soifon exclaimed, trying to wake the boy as she cursed the Arrancar and her friend, feeling more and more frustrated when Hanataro refused to wake up. She turned on Cammy, panic and anger in her eyes, "I told you to run! What were you doing?"

Cammy stammered, trying to explain what happened, but Soifon ignored her excuses and chastised her again.

"Captain Soifon," a familiar voice called out to her. Briefly, she glanced up at its source: an approaching Hitsugaya with Matsumoto running alongside him. He watched as Soifon lifted Hanataro from the ground, his eyes widening a bit when he took notice of his worsening situation, "What hap-"

"Out of my way, I don't have time for this," Soifon barked, cradling Hanataro in her arms as she dashed past her fellow Soul Reapers.

-Strange World-

Hanataro slowly opened his eyes, finding himself in a field of lush green grass. He stared at the gray, cloudy sky above him and took in a deep breath. Mixed with the smell of rain was an underlying layer of blood, an observation that caused him to sigh as he realized where he was; it was a sigh of relief and anxiousness.

Lifting himself from the ground, he spotted a familiar looking village, its houses forming a circle around a crater filled with a strange red liquid. As he travelled the smooth stone road leading to it, Hanataro saw a sloth-like creature drinking from the crater. It had brown fur with two yellow stripes running down its back and big blue eyes that lacked pupils. On its head was a paper crown that appeared to be stapled together.

The creature ceased its drinking as Hanataro approached and slowly lifted its head to look at him. "Hanataroooo, it's so good to see you after such a long tiiime," the creature greeted him in a depressed tone, smiling a bit, "You used to train so often with meee. How come you stopped? No interest in power anymooorrre? Come to think of it…you stopped training when that Captain got huurrrrttt… "

"I…I don't really," Hanataro stammered, pausing as he stared at the bowl before him. It was overflowing enough that the liquid was able to crawl onto the sole of his sandals, a disgusted groan escaping Hanataro as he took a few steps back. The sloth slowly made his way to the boy, his black claws gently scratching the stone path he traveled, "I don't mean to be pushy, but if you let it continue to overflow like thiisss…"

"Hisagomaru, why am I here?"

"Maybe you would have better luck asking hiiimmm…" the sloth replied, pointing over Hanataro's shoulder.

He blinked at this confusing statement, as no one but him and his zanpakuto's spirit should be able to be here. Slowly, he turned and the world around him faded to black; a bright light flashed in Hanataro's eyes, temporarily blinding him. Reluctantly, Hanataro opened his eyes when the light faded away, finding (to his surprise) that he was in a hospital room. He sat up in his bedw, finally noticing Soifon and Unohana standing at the foot of his bed.

"Ah, you're finally awake," Unohana smiled, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine, Captain Unohana…" he replied, rubbing his head.

"That's good, Captain Soifon was very worried about you," Unohana smiled. Soifon blushed at this and quickly turned to hide it, causing Unohana's smile to widen, "I suppose I should leave you two alone."

"C-Captain Unohana," Soifon called out to her, "What about the item I gave you?"

"I sent it to Captain Kurotsuchi for a more thorough analysis," Unohana replied, giving her a somewhat worried smile before leaving. Soifon waited for the door to close before approaching Hanataro, her eyes changing from their usual sharpness to a gentler version.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been as careless as to…I'm sorry…I shouldn't have dragged you along like that…I should have given you time to decide and…"

She paused, as she'd hardly done this to anyone but Yoruichi. Apologizing wasn't something she was used to doing as she believed it showed weakness on her part, perhaps due to her ego.

"That's okay, So-Captain Soifon," Hanataro replied, catching himself before he wrongly addressed her, "I had a good time, aside from the Arrancar attack, and I really enjoyed spending time w-with you…"

"Really," Soifon asked in a surprised tone, blushing slightly before clearing her voice and reverting to her more authoritative persona. "Well, I'm glad you feel that way, Hanataro," she nodded, beginning to pace around the room, "Maybe we could…I mean, maybe you could accompany me to the human world as a guide some other, maybe less hectic, time?"

"O-okay," Hanataro nodded, receiving a nod from her as well.

"Captain Unohana told me you were clear for release anytime, considering how you didn't sustain any injuries and your body's functions haven't been altered…but, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yep…in fact, I've never felt better in my entire life," he smiled, a brief flash of yellow blanketing his blue irises.