"I need to ask you a favor Kaorin."

"What is it?"

"I need you to get me into Hueco Mundo," said Kagura.

"What?" asked the woman, "Why do you want me to take you there?"

"Come on!" The teenager slammed her fist against the wooden table. "You know why!"

Kaorin gave a sigh. Shadows moved behind the thin paper walls. She ran her fingers through her short black hair. She looked at Kagura, shaking her head.

"You can't do anything about that."

"Of course I can!"

Kaorin seemed to deflate slightly when her friend said those words. "You remember what happened last time. While you could handle the weaker hollows with ease, that Celosa has consistently been stronger than you are. And she isn't even the strongest Espada. What will happen to you if face one of them?"

"What are you saying?" asked Kagura, "Do you really think that I would go there alone?"

"Rescuing Chiyo Mihama was strictly forbidden by the Head Captain him—"

"Is that so?" A dark look came into the girl's eyes. "What happened to the old Kaorin that I knew? The one who would do anything to help those she loved?"

"That Kaorin grew up, maybe you should do the same."

"You've turned into a coward," said Kagura, "That's why you don't want to come to Hueco Mundo with me."

"Look," Kaorin leaned back slightly, her mouth curved downwards. "Even if I wanted to get you into Hueco Mundo, I can't."

"Then get me into the Soul Society," said Kagura.

"Why on Earth would you want to go there?"

"Squad Twelve."

"Huh?"

"If there's anyone who can get me into Hueco Mundo," said Kagura, "Then it's a member of Squad Twelve, the department of research and development."

"No." Kaorin got off of the mat. As she pushed open the door she paused. A light sniffling caught her attention. She turned around to see Kagura, tears in her eyes.

"Please. I only want you to do one thing. You don't have to go with me," Kagura told her friend, "But I can't get there on my own. Please."

"Fine, fine. If you're gonna be that way about it I might as well go with you."

"How can you say that?" she screamed. "One of our friends is being held by demons, and you don't even feel the need to go to her aid?"

A slight pressure pushed against Kagura's chest. Kaorin looked at her friend. Her face now had a dangerous look.

"Don't you ever say that again, you don't understand me at all."

"I sure don't," Kagura quipped, "In the past you wouldn't have hesitated to go with me."

"If you want to go to Hueco Mundo so bad," Kaorin spat, "Maybe you shouldn't insult the people who can get you there." She slammed the door behind her.

"Damn it. Hey Kaorin, wait up!"

The Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen sat in the bright sunlight. The heat of the day didn't help her mood. She was extremely bored.

We're supposed to be readying ourselves, she thought. So why is it that we just sit around, waiting for our foes to come to us? The idea had plagued her ever since Nguvu had left the Soul Society, taking two other Captains with him. The woman simply didn't understand how the Head Captain could sit there and do nothing. Doesn't he realize that we need to stop him?

"Lieutenant Takino!"

"Yeah?" She had expected her subordinates to interfere with her private thoughts.

"Someone wishes to speak with you ma'am."

"Oh really?" asked Tomo, "Who is it?"

"It's me."

"You're here Kaorin?" The Wildcat was surprised. "I thought you were supposed to be protecting someone in the world of the living. That Mihama girl."

"That's why I'm here Tomo," said Kaorin, "You still friends with Lieutenant Mizuhara?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I was wondering…."

What? A familiar face stood in front of Tomo. I can't believe it. The most famous person in the entire Soul Society, the Substitute Soul Reaper.

"…How would you feel about going to Hueco Mundo?"

The Wildcat grinned. "Sounds like a plan, when do we leave?"

"Today. We just need to get someone to take us there."

"Then you came to the right person," said Tomo, "I can get us there no problem."

"How will you do that?" asked Kaorin.

"I'll just get Yomi to do it." Tomo smiled, "That nerd can do anything, except get herself a date."

"That's not a very nice thing to say Tomo," said Sakaki. "What if your friend heard you?"

"Then she'd know about the areas she needs to improve in." Takino and the Lieutenant of Squad Two smiled at each other.

"Do you two know each other?" asked Kagura.

"We've known each other ever since we entered the Soul Reaper Academy," Sakaki told her. "She, Koyomi, Kaorin, and I all graduated in the same year. I'm going to Hueco Mundo with you."

"What?" said Kaorin, "You're going to risk losing everything to go with us?"

"Of course," said Sakaki, "There's no one in the Soul Society that can make me stronger. The only place where I can fight a powerful enemy is in Hueco Mundo."

"So you're only coming with us to get stronger?" asked Tomo.

"No," said Sakaki, "You'll need someone to protect you two, and Kagura might have her hands tied at some point."

"I can look after myself," said Kaorin, "I am a Lieutenant after all."

"I don't mind," said Tomo, "Let's just head over to the department of research and development. We'll definitely find Yomi there."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Kaorin.

"She's a total dork, where else would she spend her free time?"

The sound of people rushing to and fro filled Kagura's ears. Giant computer monitors and test tubes filled the entrance. Everywhere she looked, Kagura could see people wearing thick glasses. One in particular caught her attention. A brown haired individual that seemed to be supervising a group of white coated scientists. Is this her? She couldn't see the person's eyes through the thick glasses she wore.

"Hey Yomi."

"That's Lieutenant Mizuhara!"

"Alright fine Mizuhara, we need your help."

"Why is that?" asked the woman.

Tomo leaned towards her. "We need a way into Hueco Mundo. And I think that you can get us there."

"Well I can't. Now if you'll excuse me," the woman turned around, "I'm in the middle of showing these bunglers how to perform a simple experiment."

"I knew you couldn't do it," said Tomo.

Mizuhara paused. She turned around, an angry expression on her face. "What makes you think that I can't do it?" The Wildcat had a dangerous smile on her face. "You dare to mock my abilities?" asked Yomi.

"It's pretty obvious that it can't be done, at least not by you."

"It's so simple!" said Yomi, "I can get it done in no time!"

"Can you get it done before lunch?" asked Tomo.

"But, there's, there's so little time before the start of lunch and—"

"Simple huh?" asked Tomo, "I bet you couldn't do it before lunch is over."

"We'll see." The woman rubbed her hands together, a creepy smile on her face. "Oh we'll see who has the last laugh!" yelled Mizuhara.

"Whatever," said Tomo, "I'll just wait outside."

"By the time you get a drink I'll be done!" exclaimed the mad scientist.

Kagura left the building as Yomi rushed off. Where the bespectacled woman was headed, Kagura had no idea. Yet she had a feeling that there would be even more thick glasses wherever it was.

As Kagura stepped out of the department of research and development, she shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight. A strange mumbling caught the girl's attention. Underneath one of the tall oak trees, the sound of drunken shouts could be heard. Unfortunately the drunkard happened to be a Miss Takino.

"Hey you!" Her words slurred together into one. "Is Yomi done yet in there?"

"How did you get yourself drunk?" screamed Kagura.

"Oh shut up," she angrily spat, "It's not my fault that I was thirsty."

"No," said Kaorin, shaking her head from side to side. "However it was your fault that you kept a container of alcohol tied around your waist."

"It's only for parties," said Tomo, "But I'll be fine in a little while, really, hic."

"Somehow I doubt that," said Kaorin, as her friend walked into a tree.

"Just as long as I use up all this booze before we go into monster land," said Tomo, "Even I'm not reckless enough to do that."

"Oh man," said an irate Kagura, "Where did Sakaki go?"

"The Lieutenant of Squad Two went to get something," said Kaorin, "You really need to defer to us by our rank, Kagura."

"Oh shut up. If I didn't do that the first time I met you, I'm definitely not going to do it now," said Kagura.

"How long will it take her to finish up in there?" Tomo stumbled into Kaorin.

"Gross," said the black haired woman, "You smell awful."

"It's not me," she hiccupped, "It's this." Kaorin sighed as her friend held up an empty bottle. "I love to party," she said, leaning into her friend. Kaorin backed away and Tomo fell onto the ground.

"I see you two have been wasting time," said Sakaki.

"Fine," said Tomo, "Let's go see if nerd pants has finished."

"I just finished it," said Yomi, "This is how we'll get into Hueco Mundo."

A small device sat in the middle of the floor. Its polygonal shape surprised Kagura. She had been expecting something more like a circle.

"That's great," said Tomo. The Wildcat had a strange smile on her face. "Now can you undrunk me?"

"I can't do that," said Yomi.

"Everyone knows that you can't do that," said the drunken Lieutenant. "I can't believe I ever asked someone like you to help me. The fifth seat is the one I should have asked. I hear that Kiske is—"

"I do have a cure!" Yomi shoved her hand into Tomo's mouth.

Kagura was shocked as she watched Tomo gasping on the floor. "It's so sour, and bitter, and spicy all at once!" The Wildcat hacked and coughed. For the next five minutes she coughed onto the floor.

"I think we're ready to go." Takino rose off of the floor. She turned to face Mizuhara, "Will you be joining us?" Her speech no longer slurred.

"No I'm not," said Yomi.

"It's because your device doesn't work isn't it?" said Tomo. "You're afraid to use it aren't you?"

"No I'm not," said Yomi, "The things I make always function properly."

"Liar," said Tomo, "Why else would you be afraid to go with us? You're such a coward and a failure as a scientist. No matter how much you idolize your nerdy Captain, you'll never be as good as he is."

"It does work!" The bespectacled woman fiddled with a series of knobs and dials. The device slowly began to open up. A black and gray spiral appeared underneath the metal cover. We're supposed to use this? It doesn't look very safe. Kagura noticed that Yomi was standing right next to the device, a triumphant smile on her face.

"Hey you," said Kagura, "Glasses lady. How thick are those glasses, all I can see is a light blue where your eyes should be."

"That's because I placed a blue film inside of each of the lenses," said Yomi, "That way no one can see my eyes. Not only that the film also blocks UV light and is even polarized, keeping down glare."

"They're also half an inch thick," said Tomo, "If you ever lost them you might as well be blind."

"Let's just get going," said Mizuhara.

One by one the five of them jumped down into the hole. Kagura watched as Yomi, Tomo, Kaorin, and Sakaki plunged into the black swirling mass. Finally it was her turn. Taking a deep breath she stepped in.