Twilight: Hello again! Chapter 6, woot woot!

Kage: …Weren't you just depressed last chapter?

Twilight: Yeah…your point?

Kage: Damn, onna, you have 24/7/365 PMS.

Twilight: Do not!

Kage: Yeah, yeah. Don't jump down my throat; I bet you taste nasty. It was just a comment.

Twilight: It was still mean…

Kage: Whatever.

Twilight: Oh! By the way, I forgot to tell you guys! I found this awesome webcomic called Least I Could Do, and I LOVE it!

Kage: It's perverted enough to make Kon die from blood loss. And he's a stuffed toy who shouldn't even have any blood in the first place.

Twilight: Yeah, but it's funny!

Kage: Everything's funny to you.

Twilight: …Not true.

Kage: Yeah, it is.

Twilight: …Maybe.

. Requiem of a Wandering Spirit .

… a bleach fanfiction

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Requiem of a Wandering Spirit © Dragon of Twilight
Bleach © Kubo Tite

This introduction format © B a y o – B a y o

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CHAPTER S I X :
"Set in Motion"

Opening Theme: "Houki Boshi" by Younha

A familiar, stabbing pain throbbing in her temples woke Rangiku from a wonderful dream involving extremely inappropriate dancing and a few well-chosen, attractive males. Groaning, Matsumoto cracked open a slightly bloodshot light blue eye, instantly regretting it as the sunlight shining merrily through her window almost burned out her corneas.

The familiar sight of her room met her watering eyes, with its random scattering of sake bottles, cosmetics, snacks, and clothes. Her favorite red, lacy bra was hanging off the coat hanger by the door like a sort of home flag. Squeezing her eyes shut again, she swallowed dryly, wincing at the familiar taste of sake. She sat up, bringing her hands up to her temples as her head protested fiercely.

Ooh…my head… it feels like my brain's trying to escape through my eye sockets…Matsumoto let out a low, pained moan as her head throbbed evilly. Maybe that last bottle before bed wasn't such a good idea.

What day was it? A quick glance at her calendar, purchased from the limited edition Captain's Calendar from the SWA (and featuring a picture of the dog-like Komamura-taichou with half his canine face obscured by a spike of dark hair with a bell on its tip), confirmed that it was a Wednesday.

Oh damn, today the Shinigami Women's association meet to discuss the new calendars... Matsumoto grunted as she realized that she was probably already late. She debated getting up for a second, but then decided not to. Let them wait.

There was really no point. She was already in her shinigami uniform, and no one would notice a few wrinkles. But she had the strangest feeling that she'd forgotten something. Unenthusiastically, Matsumoto scowled and scrubbed her hand tiredly across her face, noticing that her cosmetics had been washed off sometime before she collapsed in bed.

Groaning, the big-breasted shinigami reluctantly swung to the side and slipped off her bed, her feet hitting the soft, fuzzy red carpet she'd brought back from the human world (despite vehement protests from her captain) with a soft thump. Immediately, the lieutenant spotted the neatly folded mat with a pile of blankets and clothes set neatly on top of them in the far corner of the room, where the carpet didn't reach. But what really caught Matsumoto's attention was the scabbard-less zanpakutō that rested carefully on top of the pile of cloth.

"Huh? Who put those there?" She wondered aloud, walking over to the occupied corner and leaning over the pile curiously. "Whose blade is that?"

The large-breasted shinigami let out a small 'oh' as she noticed a small piece of paper impaled on the long, curved blade. Matsumoto carefully picked up the wood-hilted katana and inspected it closely, noting the odd style of the hilt. The grip felt like it was designed for someone who was missing at least three fingers, and was made out of some kind of yielding, molding material that adjusted to fit the grasping of Matsumoto's hand. She delicately slid the paper off the blade and unfolded it.

Rangiku,

After you drank that bottle of sake and passed out, I scrubbed off your eye shadow and lipstick for you before putting you to bed so you wouldn't need to replace your pillow. It was no trouble; so don't feel as if you need to thank me later. It was the least I could do for intruding on your privacy. I woke up early this morning, so I'm going to the office. If you come looking for me and I'm not there, I've probably gone for a walk. I'll try to be back by nine.

Yuurei

P.S: There's aspirin on top of the nightstand.

Ah, so they're Rei-chan's. Matsumoto grinned at the note as the dark-skinned face of the white-haired newbie that she'd decided to take under her wing yesterday came to mind. The spidery scrawl made Matsumoto laugh; it looked like Yuurei hadn't put much effort into her penmanship, totally unlike her taichou, who wrote in an elegant script that tempted Matsumoto to spill ink all over it.

The thoughtfulness the girl displayed was a bit unexpected, though. Matsumoto thought that Yuurei would have been less than pleased with her for dragging her around yesterday. Matsumoto glanced at her nightstand, and indeed, there sat a bottle of aspirin.

Maybe she'd been wrong about Yuurei, having unconsciously assumed that the girl had a similar nature to her taichou because of her white hair and seemingly apathetic demeanor. Matsumoto smiled as she reread the note. But it seemed as if the young woman had metaphorically accepted Matsumoto's extended hand of friendship. Matsumoto thought over this new development carefully, face suddenly adopting a mischievous expression. An impish glint lit her eyes despite the pain of a raging hangover. Now that the new recruit had been drawn closer, she could probably get Yuurei to put up with some of her more outrageous ideas that she'd previously reserved for a time when she might actually manage to get her taichou drunk and not risk a good whack across the head.

As she glanced again at the calendar, the orange-haired fukutaichou could practically feel an evil laugh bubbling up in her throat as an absolutely brilliant idea struck her like a rock to the head.

Maybe I should go to the meeting after all…and maybe I should even bring my new 'friend.'

Hitsugaya let out a long, relaxed sigh as he set aside the last of the usual early-morning pile of paperwork to wait until he could get someone to take it to the Ninth Division. The pile included the disturbance in the streets, a notice that the Tenth had accepted a new member, and Yuurei's bio. Soon, she would start pulling her weight around the division, and Hitsugaya could decide whether accepting her was a good idea or a bad one after he assessed her.

The return to routine was comforting after the disaster that had been the day before. Maboroshi still hadn't returned from wherever she went, but he dismissed her absence as minor, and grasped the rare opportunity for silence with both hands.

Maybe I could even take my nap early…

"TAICHOU! REI-CHAN!"

The loud cry utterly shattered the calm of the office as well as the composure of the small in stature but huge in power shinigami sitting at the desk. In an appallingly unprofessional way that he mentally chastised himself for, Hitsugaya jumped in alarm. Recognizing the tone in his fukutaichou's voice that he associated with her overreacting to some minor problem, he felt a brief flicker of panic accompanied by the childish urge to hide under his desk, both of which he promptly beat down accompanied with a good mental punch to the face. He was NOT scared of his fukutaichou.

"Taichou!" Matsumoto appeared in the doorway, panting and disheveled. Her eyes swept around the office before settling on Hitsugaya, who was glaring at her for being so noisy at eight in the morning. "Taichou, where's Rei-chan? She left me a note that she went for a walk, but she's not back yet! Do you think she got lost?"

"How should I know?!" He snapped, irritated. "And why are you being so noisy this early in the morning? Usually you're still asleep!"

"You should at least try and guess!" Matsumoto insisted stubbornly, ignoring the subtle insult.

Hitsugaya sighed, bringing a hand up to his temple in defeat. She's so stubborn in the mornings.

"It's none of my business to know or care about what Maboroshi does in her spare time, and I'd rather not know anyway. Either take this finished paperwork to the Ninth or go look for her yourself." He said shortly, fed up.

He knew he wasn't exactly a deep well of patience to begin with, but it was even worse in the mornings. To be perfectly honest, he really wasn't very pleasant to be around until he had his nap. Matsumoto sighed, knowing not to push him this early in the morning as he got up and headed for the door.

"Fine. Just ask her where she's going next time. You don't mind, do you?" Hitsugaya opened his mouth. "Of course you don't." Matsumoto interrupted dismissively without giving her captain a chance to reply in the negative before attempting to leave.

Hitsugaya got to the door first and paused mid-step in the doorway, neatly blocking her path. He turned an emerald-eyed glare on his lieutenant, narrowing his eyes. "Why should I?"

Matsumoto looked slightly flabbergasted as she realized that yes, he had a point. Why should he? She quickly searched her mind for a plausible, if not brilliant, excuse she could use.

"Uh…" She found none. Her captain watched her think with a slightly smug smirk tilting his lips. Her eyes lit up as an idea struck her; he frowned. "Ok, Taichou."

Said Taichou raised an eyebrow at the brisk, salesperson-esque attitude Matsumoto had adopted, sounding like a professional haggler.

"If you keep an eye on Yuurei for me, I'll do paperwork whenever you tell me to." She declared dramatically, her eyes squeezed shut as if the idea of paperwork was killing her.

"You're supposed to anyway."

Shot down. Ouch.

"Come on, just do it!" Matsumoto insisted stoutly.

"Why?"

"Out of the kindness of your heart?" The response from Hitsugaya was a raised eyebrow. "Pity?" A scowl. Matsumoto sighed, knowing she'd have to play the desperate card. "…Please."

"No."

Well, that didn't work.

Hitsugaya crossed his arms, turning away from his lieutenant and glaring out through the open door. "May I leave now without you demanding me to do something for you?"

"Fine." Matsumoto huffed, accepting defeat, brushing roughly past him and running out the door, presumably to look for her new gray-haired toy. Hitsugaya sighed. A rumble coming from his stomach reminded him of the fact that he hadn't eaten anything yet.

My nap will have to wait. Damn it.

The phrase, "Matsumoto is looking for you" is never a forewarning of good news. It's ever worse when you hear it from your new boss.

And what's even worse than that is running into your new boss and knocking him down before he tells you that.

"W-What?!" Yuurei asked, overwhelmed, black eyes wide. Hitsugaya ignored her helpfully proffered hand and angrily pulled himself up on his own, brushing dirt off his white haori, scowling fiercely.

"Matsumoto was looking for you." He repeated irritably, turning an icy green glare on his new recruit. "Where were you?" He snapped, more out of annoyance than curiosity.

Yuurei blinked before closing her eyes and bowing her head so that her hair completely hid her eyes. "I ran across 7th Seat Yamada Hanatarou in a bit of a bind, and helped him out. Unohana-taichou invited me for tea and thanked me for helping him." Yuurei bowed in apology to Hitsugaya, whose scowl lightened a bit as she continued. "I apologize for knocking you down; I should have been paying more attention to where I was going."

Hitsugaya's scowl slowly lightened, then disappeared in acceptance of her apology. He sighed. "It's fine. No harm done."

Yuurei sighed in relief and then grinned lightly, the smile looking natural this time. "Well, Rangiku can wait. I have no intention of giving her another opportunity to take me shopping."

Hitsugaya smirked back at her, then blinked bemusedly as he noticed that Yuurei was still in her sleeping yukata. It wasn't indecent, but she made quite a sight walking around in what amounted to a pair of pajamas. People passing nearby were starting to stop and stare at the sight of the white-haired tensai talking to girl in nightclothes. Hitsugaya shifted uncomfortably at a particularly incredulous stare, glaring frostily at the man until he looked away. Yuurei herself didn't seem to notice the stares, seeming too occupied with tugging on a lock of her hair.

"Maboroshi…" He started, staring pointedly at her outfit.

Yuurei looked at him, confused. "Yes?" She followed his gaze to her outfit and let out an embarrassed 'oh.' "Uh…I apologize, Hitsugaya-taichou. I didn't want to dig through all the clothes Rangiku bought me, so I just went out like this." She tugged harder on her hair, a light blush tinting creamy brown skin. "I'll remember to put on a shihakusho next time."

He eyed her. She did seem like she was telling the truth, and she didn't seem the type to lie about something so trivial.

"I guess that's fine." Hitsugaya said grudgingly. "Remember to bring your zanpakutō with you next time as well. You're not an academy student anymore."

Yuurei winced at the mention of her zanpakutō and felt a flicker of aversion, but nodded obediently. "Yes, Hitsugaya-taichou."

There was an awkward silence, both of them searching for something to break the stillness, but failing in coming up with anything remotely intelligent to say.

"…Food."

Hitsugaya blinked, startled. "…What?"

Yuurei looked sheepish now. "Um…I said 'food'."

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I'm hungry." Yuurei explained, her voice getting softer. Why did I have to open my mouth?

Because it was gettin' damned awkward, that's why!

She flinched as the angry voice roared through her mind, pulsating angrily. Her eyes widened in alarm. Malevolent reiryoku emanated from the source of the voice, threatening to crush Yuurei inside her own head. Her reishi suddenly began to drain, channeled ruthlessly and totally without her permission. A sudden weight at her hip caused her to look down, her face blanching when she saw the bone blade that she had purposefully left behind hanging heavily on a belt at her waist.

Thought cha could ditch me, eh? Nice try!

Keibatsu…please…not here, not now… She whispered, a tremor in her mental voice.

Hitsugaya frowned as Yuurei's eyes unfocused and seemed to reflect some inner conflict within their onyx depths. Her hand drifted slowly to her hip, clenching tightly on something. His eyes widened as she swayed almost unnoticeably, her other hand clenching loosely in her hair, her face twisted in a small grimace.

Yuurei let out a low growl that was inaudible to Hitsugaya, who was watching her with a slightly suspicious expression in his eyes. Enough! Stop, Keibatsu!

I suppose I've made my point. Yah'd better damn well train later, bitch.

Yuurei breathed a soft sigh of relief as the suffocating pressure ebbed away. Her eyes slid open to find Hitsugaya's hand extended toward her slightly. She followed his hand up to find an alarmed look forming on his face.

"Maboroshi?" It was a question.

"I'm fine." She said firmly, setting her jaw. Hitsugaya eyed her skeptically, but let it go in favor of blushing and looking away from each other as their stomachs rumbled in unison. Yuurei tugged nervously on her hair, obviously a tense gesture.

"Uh…Rangiku took me to a nice place yesterday in Junrinan (1st District) called Yomigaeru Shishi." His new recruit stated, tactfully changing the subject.

"I know the place." He said guardedly, raising an eyebrow. He did grow up there, after all. "What of it?"

Geez, defensive…

"Would you mind coming with me?" She asked awkwardly, before looking down shamefully. "I…I don't have any money. C-Could you possibly…? It would be…uh…killing two birds with one stone?" She trailed off uneasily as she noticed his eyes widening incredulously. "I'll pay you back, I swear it!"

Hitsugaya stared at her, a bit dumbstruck, and not just because she'd just used that aged proverb. Sure, he was hungry, she was hungry, and he had money to spare, but still…the fact that he'd be eating out with someone made it kind of like a rendezvous of a kind, and therefore slightly uncomfortable.

But still…Conflicted emerald eyes focused on the gaunt state of the young woman's wrists as she tugged nervously at a strand of her hair, prompting an unpleasant rush of guilt. It was just helping her out…

It would also give him another opportunity to get some straight answers out of her.

"…Sure. I'll help you out." Hitsugaya said slowly, mind already sorting through the questions he could ask and thinking up tactics to bring them up as a topic. Yuurei bowed gratefully, but he held up a hand to stop her. "Put on a uniform and get your zanpakutō first."

"I have my zanpakuto here." She said with a small smile, turning so that the katana hanging at her waist was presented toward him. The involuntary wince went unnoticed.

"Didn't you just…whatever." The white-haired tensai huffed slightly, partly in annoyance and partly in confusion, the latter that he kept hidden from her. "Hurry up and get a uniform on, then. Ask Matsumoto where they are. She should be asleep on the couch. I'll wait at the Hakutōmon (West Senkai Gate)."

"Thank you, Taichou!" Yuurei bowed and disappeared in a reasonably well-executed shunpo for a fresh-out-of-the-Academy new recruit. Hitsugaya felt his respect for her raise a half a notch.

At least she's competent. I'll have to test her soon…He sighed to himself; suddenly remembering that other shinigami were still rushing by, flinging odd glances at the short, white-haired figure standing deep in thought in the middle of the street. He scowled deeply and shunpo-ed away, heading for the westernmost gate.

Damn, Weakling, did ya FEEL that reiatsu? I betcha if he released even a third, yah'd be crushed like that spider ya just stepped on. Keibatsu commented callously. After all, ya are pretty weak.

Yuurei grunted quietly, trying to block out the aggravating, spiteful voice of her zanpakutō as she searched the Juubantai quarters for the lazy vice-captain.

Keibatsu, you can't know that. I've never fought someone with power like that before.

Good thing ya haven't then, ya pussy. Yah'd be crushed. You've never had a lotta reiatsu teh begin with, yah fight with dirty tricks. He laughed scornfully, sending needles shooting into her brain. Yah fight like the coward yah are. An' yer new capt'n will know that by the end o' yer assessment.

I know that. Yuurei finally snapped back at him, her voice sharp. But having a lot of reiatsu doesn't mean shit if you don't know how to use it. I may not have a lot, but I can use the little I do have efficiently enough. The fact that I'm still alive after this long proves that.

S'not gonna be enough to impress Chibi-taichou, though. As a shinigami, yah pull your punches. What was enough out in Rukongai is not gonna matter here. Yah should've learned that already from te' old fart. Keibatsu grunted, receding back into the depths of her inner world.

Don't call Kaemon-sensei an old fart. Yuurei protested uselessly to the retreating zanpakutō spirit. A cold scoff was what she got in return. Sighing, she finally stopped as she passed by the captain's office for the third time. She sighed again and reluctantly took a deep breath…and let loose with a very loud bellow.

"RANGIKU!" She yelled, her voice cracking at the strain of screaming.

The startled snort she got in reply sounded surprisingly close as the echoes of her call rebounded around the hall. Yuurei let out a small, raspy cough as she headed toward the small sound, finding her fukutaichou sprawled out on the couch with a bottle of sake held loosely in her hand.

"Oh… hi, Rei-chan." She smiled sleepily at the white haired woman leaning over her and giggled drunkenly. "Hehe, you're still wearin' your pajamas. I was lookin' for you…wha's wrong?" Matsumoto slurred, looking up at Yuurei with unexpectedly lucid eyes. "Didja get in trouble?" Yuurei hesitated. Matsumoto's eyes widened and she abruptly sat up, slurring abruptly gone. "Did Taichou kick you out? Because if he did, I'm sure I could 'persuade' him to let you stay. You just got here, and there's no way I'm gonna let him kick you out without giving you a chance."

"No, no, no. He didn't kick me out." Yuurei quickly reassured her, alarmed at the serious tone in Matsumoto's voice. "He just told me to get a shihakusho from you. Really." She added, as Matsumoto was looking at her skeptically.

"Good." Matsumoto sighed in relief before turning to Yuurei with a slightly mischievous grin, getting up and stretching before walking out, motioning for Yuurei to follow her. "Well, Taichou's right; you can't go around in your nightclothes, and since I burned your Academy uniform and only bought you casual clothes, you don't have anything to wear when on duty." Yuurei stopped dead in the middle of the hallway. Matsumoto paused, turning around to note Yuurei's stricken expression. "What?"

"You burned my clothes." Yuurei said faintly.

Matsumoto nodded with a grin. "Yep."

"B-But why?!" Yuurei demanded heatedly, her voice rising to whispery shriek. Matsumoto scowled now, her hands on her hips and her lips in a pout.

"They were filthy! It's not like you were ever going to wear them again!" Yuurei's wide black eyes narrowed in a venomous glower under their curtain of white-gray hair. Both women glared at each other until Yuurei sighed unhappily and shook her head to break eye contact.

"You're right, Rangiku. I'm sorry." Matsumoto smiled as Yuurei gave her a brief dirty look. "But you could have asked me."

The elder shinigami laughed cheerfully. "What would be the fun in that? You would have said no!"

Yuurei shrugged with a faint smile. "Probably."

Ending Theme: "Again" by Yui

A/N: Be patient, my pretties…

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Evilhumor Author, Kanervdss, Wolfsredfalcon, aznphoenix95, Hikari6007, queenofspades19;

THANK YOU!

Signing out,
Dragon of Twilight!