Morning came sooner than I was ready for. With a slight skip in my step, I raced off to the second division to begin training with Yoruichi. She was waiting in the training grounds, a smile on her face as she saw me.

"Welcome," she greeted. "First off, we'll work on your speed. To work on that, wear these weights all the time for the next three weeks."

"All the time?" I clarified, putting them on my wrists and ankles. They were at least fifty pounds each, making it hard to move. She nodded.

"For starters, to get you used to those weights, I want you to run circuits around the Seireitei," she instructed. "Begin now."

I nodded and raced off.

LATER

I was tired as I stumbled over to the restaurant where I was to meet Sosuke for lunch. He winced when he saw me, telling me I looked even worse than I felt.

"Wow," he said softly, looking me over as he started healing my few bruises. As I'd run my laps, Yoruichi, Soifon, and Kisuke had all taken turns ambushing me, forcing me to fight and flee, making full use of my speed training. Needless to say, I'd gotten my ass kicked… a lot!

"I feel like I've been hit by a train," I grumbled, dropping into my seat, resting my head on the table.

"Are you sure doing this much training isn't too hard on your body?" he asked me. I gave him a half-hearted smile.

"If I don't push myself to my limits, I won't get stronger," I answered simply. Then got a determined look in my eyes. "And I have to, Sosuke. I HAVE to get stronger…"

His hand encompassed my fist, making me look at him.

"Why?" he asked softly, concern on his face. "Why does needing to get stronger matter so much to you?"

I sighed.

"It just does, okay?" I answered evasively. Thankfully, he dropped the subject.

"Aren't you training with Kensei next?" he asked. I nodded.

"From what Kensei told me last night, he'll be having me duel him one-on-one to see how pathetic I am, then go from there. Since he's strictly strength and endurance, I wouldn't be surprised if he'd given Yoruichi a heads-up and that they were working together on me."

Sosuke nodded.

"That sounds reasonable," he agreed. I spared him a small smile, eating quickly. I was excited to work with Kensei. I'd only seen him in action twice, but he was a sight to behold… almost mouth-watering, watching those muscles flex…

I blushed darkly at the look Sosuke was giving me and pushed those thoughts away.

"What?" I asked. He chuckled.

"You really need to work on not showing your thoughts on your face," he teased. "We all know Captain Muguruma is very attractive, as his fan club can prove."

I blushed darker.

"So, try not to let his good looks distract you during your training," he finished, making me punch his arm, which only served to amuse him. "You're slower."

"Damn weights," I grumbled. "Kisuke made them. They don't only weigh a ton; they also force you to stretch your spiritual energy just to move."

That surprised Sosuke.

"How interesting," he commented. "I didn't realize Urahara was a scientist…"

I chuckled.

"Oh, he is," I said with a smile. "And he's terrible! Every time you turn around, he's coming up with something new."

Sosuke chuckled, then frowned, having seen someone behind me.

"Ready to train?"

I jumped and spun around, glad I'd finished eating.

"Kensei! You scared me!"

He grinned and looked at me.

"Are you coming or not?" he asked. I nodded and threw my trash away, following him outside of the Seireitei, out into the Rukon. Of course, he'd chosen to run the whole way. That told me my suspicions had been correct. He WAS working with Yoruichi.

"Well, now we can begin," he said, putting his zanpakuto down. I followed suit and prepared for an all-out brawl.

LATER

I limped into the squad five office, making Sosuke chuckle and walk over to help me, sitting me down so he could heal me again.

"I'm going to ask you again, are you sure your body can handle this?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.

"It has to, Sosuke," I answered determinedly. "That's not a choice… not anymore."

Once more, I was grateful that he let the matter drop.

"Fortunately, the least physically taxing training is last," I said, glancing over at Shinji. "Most of what's left is all in the mind."

"What ability are we training?" he asked me, seeming a bit insulted at being told he was the "least taxing" part of my day.

"I can use Durnehviir's eyes," I answered him. "Illusions can fool my eyes, but not his."

Sosuke was surprised… and tense. I frowned at him, concerned.

"Then what do you need me to train you for?" Shinji asked, confused.

"I need to extend the time I can hold it," I answered. "And I need to speed up how fast I can call on it… I intend to do this while dueling you in the illusion of your zanpakuto."

Shinji nodded, understanding.

"How long can you hold it now?" he asked. I blushed and looked at my lap where my hands clenched nervously.

"Less than a minute," I answered meekly. That threw him into surprise again. "It's taxing… and causes a god-awful headache every time I use it… but Durnehviir says all that will go away as I get stronger and get better at using it."

I paused, then pushed on.

"It's partially why I'm training so hard under three different teachers," I explained. "To control this new ability, I have to be strong enough. When I've fully developed it, Durnehviir says I'll not only be able to see through all illusions, but I'll be able to see the auras of all living things, even when their energy is completely masked."

Now Sosuke was looking at me in a new light. He looked concerned, yes, but not the normal kind of concerned. It was a strange look to see on his features. A low whistle took my mind back to my next teacher.

"That's one powerful ability," Shinji stated. I nodded. "I can see why you're so determined."

I smiled softly.

"It's going to be another hour before I'm allowed to leave," the blonde told me. "Then we can get started. Use that time to rest up. Your mind is going to get stretched to the limit."

I nodded and relaxed, accepting the Jasmine tea Sosuke brought me. He spared me a small smile.

"When did you learn of this ability?" he asked. I smiled softly.

"Durnehviir told me of it yesterday morning," I answered. "I couldn't sleep… so I trained instead… and he showed me that ability, told me what it could do… and that I'd have to train 'til my body and mind were broken before I could fully master it."

Sosuke's eyes widened, realizing the truth.

"That's why you're pushing yourself so hard!" he exclaimed. I nodded and relaxed in the seat.

"It's why Kouga recommended the two hardest task-master Captains for training, and the last one based on zanpakuto ability alone," I spelled out. "Kouga also believed Shinji would be the least likely to warp my mind beyond repair. There are, technically, three others with illusion-type zanpakuto… but one of those hates me and the other two are poorly trained."

Silence met that comment as we all just relaxed for a bit. Soon, Sosuke left to deliver paperwork to a few divisions, leaving Shinji and I alone.

"You said this new ability was only partially why you wanted to get stronger," Shinji put out there quietly. "What was the other part?"

I hesitated… and he knew. He got up, walked over, and sat down next to me, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"Come on," he pressed softly. "You can tell me. After all, you are my first love."

His teasing tone got a blush from me as I slapped his chest in embarrassment. He chuckled, but didn't pull back. Softly, I sighed.

"I… I've…"

I just couldn't get it out. I didn't know if he'd listen, if he'd believe me. I hadn't even told Sosuke this, and he'd known me for seven years! I kept clasping and unclasping my hands, feeling very, very nervous about this. Abruptly, he placed his hand over mine, the warmth of his body against my side filling me with comfort, with a small degree of trust towards this strangely comical friend of mine.

"I've had the ability to see things before they happen since I was born," I finally said softly, noting his unspoken surprise in the slight start of his body, before he forced it to calm again in response to the tensing of mine. "I… I recently saw something… terrible… happen to someone I care about… and I want to stop it, if I can… but I cannot, not as weak as I am. I have to get stronger."

I clenched my hands tightly around his.

"I have to protect them," I said softly, determined.

"What was this vision about?" he asked softly, his voice deadly serious. "What did you see?"

I paused, hesitating again, then forced myself to spit it out.

"Like all my visions, I can't hear what's said, I can only observe the scene," I explained. "My friends… they had fallen victim to something, to someone I couldn't see… and all but one of them was unconscious. The one still awake seemed deeply angered, almost betrayed… and all of them were suffering the same strange phenomena… Three of them had hollow masks… and the others… if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say they were becoming hollows, too… but it didn't look natural, it didn't look right… The conscious one… the white stuff that spewed from his mouth only covered half of his face, like he was fighting it somehow…"

I shook my head, trying to push those thoughts away. Only then did I realize I was shaking, tears rolling down my cheeks. Shinji was fully hugging me now, holding my quaking form against his larger, warmer body. I let myself absorb his warmth, relaxing in his embrace, turning my head to cry into the crook of his neck as he held me. His body language didn't even tell me what he was thinking, thank goodness, only sent out a signal of comfort and warmth as he tried to calm me once more.

"I-I couldn't watch anymore," I whispered softly. "I couldn't bear it…"

Shinji just silently held me, probably thinking over what I'd seen… and most likely debating whether it was true or not. I wrapped my arms softly around his chest and hugged him back, desperately absorbing his comfort.

"I'll do everything I can to help you prevent that vision from coming true."

The fierce determination and genuine resolve surprised me, making me pull away a bit to look up at him.

"You… you believe me?" I asked, my tone painfully hopeful, even to my own ears. His hand gently brushed away my tears as he looked right into my eyes. Those eyes… those honest eyes… they answered my question for me, making a fresh wave of tears hit as I hugged him again. "Thank you…"

His only answer was to hug me a bit tighter, just relaxing in our shared embrace. He didn't let go even after I'd gotten ahold of myself, seeming to just wordlessly know I really, really needed this embrace, as embarrassed as I'd be if anyone caught us like this.

For once, fortune seemed to be on my side. No one came. No one interrupted this moment.

"Feel a little better?" he asked softly, letting his hand lightly rub my back. I nodded and let myself pull back, grabbing some Kleenex to blow my nose a few times, and used some cool water to soothe my burning cheeks.

"You've never told anyone about your visions… or your sight, have you?" he asked. I shook my head, glancing back at him, seeing him looking out the window contemplating.

"I was afraid no one would believe me, would listen…" I admitted quietly. "I'm glad to see that I was wrong."

He spared me a glance at that, cracking a very small smile, before glancing at the clock.

"All right," he said, getting up. "Let's go start that training."

I nodded and followed him from the office, over to the Captain's quarters. I quirked a brow at this choice and he gestured for me to follow him around back, to the private courtyard.

"Since you're just learning your technique, I won't actually spar with you," he told me. "I want you to get used to the feeling of Sakanade. Everything you see will be turned upside down and backwards. I want you to get used to the effect before you apply Durnehviir's eyes. At that point, we'll start working on how long you can hold it."

I nodded and he pulled out his zanpakuto.

"Are you ready?" he asked. Stiffly, I nodded. He paused and looked at me. "I'm not going to start this until you relax. Tensing up like that will only make this transition harder."

I nodded and forced myself to relax… but I kept having trouble. With a sigh, he walked up to me and embraced me again, his touch sending waves of calm over me, soothing me. When I was relaxed again, he stepped back to his original position and looked at me. There, he turned his zanpakuto to face the ground in front of him.

"Collapse, Sakanade," he said softly. Immediately, his sword changed form, no longer having a hilt. Instead, it swung around and around his fist as he watched me. I was a bit unnerved to see a pink-colored gas surrounding us. "Relax and breathe in."

I did as told… and soon yelped. Everything was upside down!

"Relax," he reminded me. "Just get used to it."

Slowly, I did as bid and forced myself to relax. After a few minutes, Shinji walked towards me. When he was right behind me, he raised his right hand… but it was my left cheek that he cupped with his left?

"Huh?" I whispered, startled.

"Sakanade turns everything backwards," he told me. "Front, back, up, down, side to side… It's the inverted world. You will see everything the opposite way that it is."

I took a few moments to accept that… and then closed my eyes.

When they opened, he gasped in surprise. Now I saw him as the truth, his left hand cupping my face, him standing in front of me. Softly, I raised my hand to cover his.

"Durnehviir's eyes… really do remove illusions," I commented softly. "Now what I felt and what I see match up again."

After a few moments, I smiled.

"What do they look like, Durnehviir's eyes?" I asked. He grinned.

"Like a dragon's eyes," he answered. "And a bright, vivid green."

I nodded, then hissed, my hand shooting to my head as the ability slipped away, a headache taking its place.

"Are you all right?" he asked. I nodded, cracking open my eyes to look at him, startling him.

"That wasn't long at all," he commented. I agreed completely.

"Welcome to my headache," I commented dryly, realizing my world was backwards again. "Gimme a moment… I'll summon it again."

He nodded and waited patiently. After a few more seconds, the headache eased and I was able to summon the eyes again. This time, I let my hand slide up his arm, up to his shoulder, his eyes watching me carefully. Abruptly, he spun me around and hugged me from behind, his head on my right shoulder. I was so startled I lost the eyes almost immediately as I gasped.

"Sh-Shinji!"

I forced myself to regain those eyes quickly to end my confusion. It felt like his body was pressed against my front, not my back, the warmth making no sense to my eyes, like my sight and my ability to feel was all reversed.

"This is extremely disorienting," I grumbled, holding onto the arms around me as the world straightened out again. "This is definitely helping to some degree… normally I have to wait at least ten minutes to re-summon my eyes…"

He chuckled.

"Seems you just lacked proper incentive," he teased, nuzzling my neck, making me tense.

"Sh-Shinji!" I gasped, losing the eyes again. "W-What are you doing?!"

The disorienting effect was amplified now. Sensations across my body were NOT matching up with what I was seeing at all! Every touch, every movement he made… none of it matched up! It was so very confusing!

I conjured the eyes again and jerked out of his arms to face him, completely in disbelief.

"What on earth are you doing?" I demanded. He grinned.

"Training," he answered, watching me hiss again in pain as the eyes left me. My head was nearly splitting in half at this point. I'd never tried to summon the eyes this many times before… but I knew I'd have a true migraine before he was done teaching me tonight… and I would need those eyes to evade his advances.

"Do you even want to evade them, Master?"

At Durnehviir's voice in my head, I blushed scarlet and glared at my zanpakuto.

~Of course I did! Why else would I be adamant about keeping out of his grasp? ~

"You didn't seem to be objecting too much… especially when he was holding you."

I blushed darker and felt my eye start to twitch in irritation.

Abruptly, everything was thrown off kilter again as I was grabbed from the front—no, the back! His voice was next to my ear as he teased me.

"You're getting distracted," Shinji stated, letting his breath teasingly brush my skin. I shivered and summoned the eyes quickly. Seeing his arm coming, I grabbed his wrist and held it away from me, his other hand holding me alone now. I heard him chuckle.

"Blame Durnehviir," I grumbled. "He's being an ass."

Shinji chuckled and spun me around, my back quickly coming into contact with a pole as he pinned my wrist above my head. I squirmed a bit, experimentally tugging on my wrist, unsurprised that his grip was firm and not about to let go.

"Shinji…"

He grinned at me and let his eyes roam, making me blush darkly.

"You're shameless," I stated, sending my knee into his gut, forcing him to release me. He doubled-over and I darted behind him, snagging his wrists and jerking him up, pinning him to the pole instead of me. He grinned lecherously at me.

"I didn't realize you wanted to be in charge," he teased, making my blush darken immensely.

"You—Shit!"

The eyes disappeared on me, disorienting me again, giving him plenty of time to escape my hold as the headache was so strong it robbed me of my sight for a moment. I clenched the sides of my head, trying to alleviate some of the pain, a low groan escaping me.

"Getting more and more painful, isn't it?" he asked. I nodded weakly, struggling to push this headache away.

"I've never bothered trying to summon it more than once in an hour, save the experiment to find out how long my cooldown timer was," I answered him, opening my eyes for a brief second, only to hiss and shut them quickly again. The headache gave me pure-white vision. "Dammit… I can't see! Bloody headache…"

He sighed and the sweet scent left the air. Softly, I felt my body lifted into a pair of arms, making me yelp and grasp for anything sturdy… which just so happened to be his haori.

"A little warning next time, Shinji!" I scolded. "Almost gave me a heart-attack!"

"It would seem it will be a while before we work up to actually sparring," he told me, completely brushing off my discomfort. "I'm going to assume that you won't be able to get home when you can't see… so you'll use the spare futon."

"Do I even wanna know why you have a spare?" I teased with a grin. He chuckled.

"Well, if you really wanna know, I—"

I slapped my hands over his mouth, opening my eyes the tiniest amount that I could without them hurting like my head.

"I don't wanna know," I said quickly, making him grin… and lick my hands. "Ewww!"

His grin widened.

"Delicious," he teased, making me blush darkly.

"You're incorrigible," I grumbled, pouting. I knew there wasn't much I could do to stop him in my current condition. After a moment, I felt myself get laid down on a futon.

"Rest," he told me. "Yoruichi will be waiting in the morning."

I nodded and relaxed. As I felt him start to leave, I grabbed his sleeve.

"Please stay," I said softly. "I sleep better when someone else is there."

He gave a soft sigh, but pulled away. I heard something getting laid down next to me and soon felt the warmth of his body next to mine.

"Go to sleep, you needy woman," he ordered gently. I chuckled and obeyed, letting my body relax. In short order, sleep swept me away.