Whew. Thank God, Buddha, Science, Cthulu, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and whatever other deity there is that this is finished. Like the last one, I'm sorry that this came out a little late. I guess that I started with this story at the wrong time, when I have to do a bunch of schoolwork and essays. Even then, I'm glad I was able to get this out.

Disclaimer and Dialogue Key are in the first few chapters, because I'm too damn lazy to do that over and over again. :P

Phase 6: Tutoring Session

The hours passed as I lay on the couch, but it didn't seem to get anywhere close to morning. I was thinking that either the window was just an illusion, or if it was always night here in Hueco Mundo.

I didn't just spend all my time in the room. There were a few times when I would get up and just pace around. I wasn't really looking for anything interesting, since all that was in there was a couch, a coffee table, a desk, and a door to the room's closet.

Speaking of which, I also managed to get myself a fresh change of clothes while I was waiting for the 'morning' to come. When I opened the closet door, the first thing I saw was…white.

Figures, I thought, my eye twitching. Anyone could take a look at me and tell that I was one piece of rice away from completely losing my mind. Seriously, was white the official religious color around this place?

I shrugged off my annoyance as I stepped into the wardrobe. It was hard to find a good outfit, especially one in my size. Still, it wasn't impossible.

After about half an hour of rummaging through the solid white clothes, I stepped out of the closet wearing what looked like a large white trench coat that reached down to the back of my legs. My torn khaki pants were replaced with a set of baggy Japanese-style slacks, held up by a tight belt. In place of my hiking boots was a pair of white moccasins. It wasn't exactly something that an archaeologist-turned-monster would choose right off the bat, but it worked.

Almost as soon as I stepped out of the closet, I heard a knocking at the door. "Door for ya, Johnny," Montezuma told me, stating the obvious. I didn't bother saying anything as I made my way to the door.

As soon as I opened the door, I soon came face to face with the same female Arrancar I saw at the throne room. I was caught by surprise, while Montezuma…well…it was an understatement to just say that he was happy to see her.

"My name is Harribel Tia," the dark-skinned woman introduced, her voice cold and serious. "You're Jonathan Hunt, I presume?"

I was about to answer before Montezuma shouted in my head, "Well, ain't we lucky sons of bitches? Johnny, I think you know as well as I do that this is quite possibly a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so TAKE IT, DAMMIT!"

My eye twitched behind the mask, but I sucked it up and nodded to answer Harribel. I saw her raise an eyebrow, probably thinking about why it took me about a few seconds to answer her.

Even then, she told me, "Aizen-sama told me to take you to the training grounds to test you. If you would follow me please." She then walked off down to one end of the hallway, with me trailing behind.

As we stepped through the hallway, Montezuma asked, "So, John, what do you make of the situation?" I raised an eyebrow as he continued, "I think the odds of you getting laid have just skyrocketed."

I groaned as I slapped my covered forehead. Seriously, is that all you think about? I projected to Montezuma, obviously annoyed. Why don't you stay out of my sex life and focus on something else for a change, like rivers of blood or something?

Montezuma chuckled. "That's a nice thought, Johnny, but right now, the hot piece of ass in front of us is even better. Besides, I doubt you even had a sex life, you cherry."

I sighed inwardly; of all the cursed masks in the world, I had to be paired with the perverted one with the asshole complex.

I stopped in my tracks when I heard Harribel ask, "Is something wrong?" I looked up to see her looking at me with the same serious gaze. It was then that I noticed that her eyes were a deep green, like mine. Why that was the first thing I thought, I didn't really know.

Brushing it off, I answered her, "No, I'm fine. I'm just…thinking about things." That was technically true. I was thinking, but my thoughts were more of a conversation between me and Montezuma. Still, I wasn't willing to tell her that just yet.

After about fifteen minutes, Harribel finally led us to an archway. We stepped through, and the first thing I saw was…blue skies. My vision spread outward to see a seemingly endless yellow desert. I blinked in confusion; I didn't see any sunlight from my room, and the trip didn't take very long. How could it have been daylight already?

Harribel cleared her throat, bringing me back from my thoughts, and motioned for me to keep following her through the desert. I nodded and followed her, pushing the question to the back of my mind.

It was only another five minutes before Harribel led us to a wide, flat spot in the desert. We weren't alone; there were three other Arrancar waiting for us, and they weren't waiting quietly. Two of the Arrancar were bickering at each other over something – though I could've sworn I heard something about chest size – while the third was just watching at the other two. One strange thing I noticed was that they were all female.

Once we were close enough, the three Arrancar stood at attention. Apparently, Harribel was the leader of the three, with that sort of respect. The Espada motioned towards me, still facing the trio, and introduced in a blank tone, "Girls, this is Jonathan Hunt." She then faced towards me and introduced, pointing at each woman respectively, "Jonathan, these are my Fracción, Apacci, Mila-Rose, and Sung-Sun."

Apacci had sort of a tomboyish look to her. She had a slender figure, one that could've been confused with a teenage boy's. Her dark hair grew down to chin-length. Her eyes were two different shades, one being light brown and the other being ice blue. Her brown eye had a pinkish-red mark around it, completely wrapping around it. I barely paid those details any attention, because the one thing that grabbed my attention was the white horn sticking out the middle of her forehead. The first word that came to my mind when I saw it was 'Unicorn' and I could swear on my life that Montezuma would've agreed with me.

Mila-Rose, on the other hand, reminded me of an Amazon. She had dark tan skin, almost darker as Harribel's. Her hair was wavy and pure brown, growing all the way down her back, and on top of her head was something that looked like a three-sectioned headpiece. Around her neck was something that looked like a thick, pure white choker necklace. The first thing I noticed about her, however, was the fact that she barely had anything on her. Her uniform, if it could even be called that, flaunted her curvy bust and figure, and she didn't look at all embarrassed about it.

Sung-Sun seemed to be the only one who looked normal out of the three. The only thing about her was that she had three pink dots under her right eye, and what looked like a strange hairpin over the same eye. She had long straight hair growing down to the small of her back. Unlike Mila-Rose, her outfit didn't show anything except her head. In fact, the sleeves even grew long over her hands. Somehow, it reminded me of a kimono.

"Well, John," Montezuma spoke up, a tone in his voice I couldn't make out. "I think the odds of you getting laid just shot up." I chose to ignore him, using every extent of my willpower not to reply, as I bowed my head towards the three girls.

"Harribel-sama," Apacci started, turning to the blonde. "Why exactly are we here?" I had a pretty good idea, since Aizen filled me in the night before, but I kept quiet.

Harribel turned to Apacci and, in the same blank/cold tone, answered, "I was just about to get there." She then turned to the rest of her Fracción and said, "Girls, you are all going to help Jonathan train his fighting abilities."

I didn't really know how the three were going to react. At first, I thought they were going to go into a rebellious frenzy, or maybe try their best to decline and get out of the job. I was wrong on both counts as they just stared at Harribel with a confused look.

"Why exactly do we have to do that?" Mila-Rose asked afterward, a tone of what I thought was insult in her voice. "I mean, I understand that Aizen saw something in this guy, but why exactly does it have to be us instead of anyone else?"

Apacci turned to Mila-Rose and gave off a cocky smirk before asking slyly, "What's the matter, Rose? Are you worried he'll beat you down to the ground without a second thought?"

The woman in question turned to Apacci and glared daggers at the woman before firing back, "Shut it, Apacci! All I'm saying is that there's more than one group of Arrancar in Las Noches."

Apacci chuckled cockily and said, "So you are scared, I take it?" Mila Rose was seething with anger as the horned Arrancar continued, "I don't see what the big deal. For all we know, this guy's probably the same as any other guy here in Hueco Mundo: a brainless moron who thinks that brute strength is the only way to get anywhere."

"I'm standing right here, you know," I muttered, a drop of sweat falling down the back of my head. I then turned to Harribel and asked her, "Not to be rude, but are they always like this?"

Harribel only gave a quiet nod as she turned back to her Fracción and clearing her throat, gaining the attention of the two bickering Arrancar. They both bowed in respect as they muttered an apology each.

Harribel sighed as she explained, "Despite what you may believe, Apacci, Jonathan has actually proven himself to be a capable fighter for a human. Even then, he still has a long way to go to survive, and Aizen chose us specifically for the task. Do you understand?"

Apacci sighed in annoyance as Mila-Rose and Sung-Sun nodded. Harribel nodded, then turned to her Fracción and me and said, "You may start when you're all ready." Before I could acknowledge her, she vanished, leaving me with her Fracción.

I didn't even have time to pop my joints before I heard the sound of a sword sliding out of its scabbard. I turned and saw Mila-Rose standing where she was with what looked like a broadsword in her hands. Apacci undid her wristbands, holding them at her sides ready to strike. From out of Sung-Sun's long sleeves, two pronged sai weapons stuck out and were held in an offensive position.

As I got into my own fighting stance, Montezuma started, "Look on the bright side, Johnny. If you win, they may just give you a victory fuck."

I would've given him a witty reply, had it not have been for the fact that a broadsword was coming at me at high speed. Before the edge of the blade could slice through my chest, I jumped backward on my heel and landed about a few feet back, just out of the swinging range of Rose's sword.

Next thing I knew, Montezuma warned, "Duck, kid." I made no objections as I leaned down to the ground, just close enough to feel Apacci's wristband weapons distort the air over my head. I could've sworn she cut a few strands of hair off.

I decided to retaliate by sweeping under her feet. I was close, but she was quicker as she leaped over my head and landed behind me. That evasion was all I paid attention to at the moment. Big mistake.

I just barely saw Sung-Sun rushing at me with her sai pointed at me until I noticed her coming up out of the corner of my eye. I barely had time to dodge, and even then, my arm rose up on instinct. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain explode in my arm, and I noticed a bloody silver stub poking out from the underside of my forearm.

I yanked my arm away, pulling it off of the weapon, only to see Apacci coming at me from my left, her chakram aimed at my neck. Mila-Rose was coming at me head on with her broadsword aimed to stab me, and Sung-Sun was to my right with her sai pointed at my head. There was only one thing for me to do. It was a shot in the dark, but hey, I was a risk taker.

Just before any of the weapons could make their mark, I leaned backwards, almost straight along the floor. I felt a few bones in my spine pop, and I damn near lost my balance, but even then, the most I came out with was a small cut along the center of my chest.

I smirked behind the mask as I muttered, "My turn." I then reached up and grabbed Apacci and Sung-Sun's arms, throwing a kick up at Mila-Rose's sword hand, knocking the blade up into the air. Once Mila-Rose was distracted, I straightened up and threw Sung-Sun towards me and elbowed her in the ribs, knocking her back a yard. I then swung Apacci around and sent her crashing into Mila-Rose with a pained grunt from the two of them.

I relaxed a little as I popped my knuckles. I was a little too confident to remember that the sword was still in the air and headed for my shoulder. Pain erupted quickly in my shoulder, and the feeling in my right arm disappeared.

"Not again," I muttered, gritting my teeth to keep from yelling out in agony. I clasped my left hand over the wound when I noticed Mila-Rose and Apacci standing up and step towards me menacingly, both of them with cocky smiles on their faces. I looked behind myself to see Sung-Sun pushing herself up off the ground, panting and keeping a sleeve on front of her mouth.

"Looks like you overestimated yourself a little, huh?" Apacci hissed, her eyes a little more sadistic than the others'. I gritted my teeth in bitter anger rather than pain, but then I remembered an important power the mask gave me.

I let out a deep breath as I picked the severed arm up from the ground and held it firmly in my hand. Just like last time, there was a dull throb in the stump of my right arm, followed by my arm growing back. I took another look at my arm as I squeezed the hand a few times. Though I already saw it before once in my one-sided battle against Szayel, it was still amazing.

I turned back to the two in front of me, noticing their gaping mouths, and replied, "Actually, I think I estimated myself pretty well."

Before they could react, I rushed at the two and swung the arm under the stunned Mila-Rose's chin. She didn't fly up more than three feet, but it was enough.

As soon as she landed on the ground in a crumpled heap, I turned to Apacci, who had just snapped out of her stupor, and swung my fleshy club at her head. She ducked and tried to slash at my face with the blades of her chakram.

I managed to duck backwards before the weapon could do any damage and countered with another leg sweep. She dodged again, but this time, I shot up and launched an uppercut at her stomach. What I forgot to count on was her vanishing in thin air.

I didn't bother to look for her as I noticed Sung-Sun rushing at me with both of her sai pointed at me. I held my severed arm up in front of me to block the weapons, or rather, get them wedged in the flesh. I smirked behind Montezuma as I raised my foot up and kicked her square in the chest.

"Now that's using your head," Montezuma praised. "Well, your arm, but still; tomato, to-mah-to."

As she flew backward and skipped along the sandy desert, taking my severed arm with her, I began thinking about what I was doing. Normally, I wouldn't have been so eager to fight a woman, much less three, but my life was in danger. Then again, it didn't really explain the satisfaction rising in my gut. Was it Montezuma's doing, or was it just instinct?

I didn't have any time to actually do some actual thinking as I felt the skin on my back being sliced open and incredible pain shoot all across my body. I spun around, blindly throwing a fist, to see Apacci duck backwards, a smirk on her face. I noticed that one of her weapons was covered with my blood.

I threw another punch, which was easily avoided by Apacci's reflexes. The next thing I knew, a foot planted itself into my shoulder and sent me flying several feet. I bounced several times before sliding to a stop along the cold sand.

I pushed myself up from the ground, shaking the sand out of my hair, and looked up to see Mila-Rose grinning, her broadsword back in her hand.

"Keep your head in the game, dumb-ass," Montezuma chastised as I stood up on my feet. "You're getting your ass beat out there!"

You think I didn't notice that? I broadcasted to Montezuma, popping my neck.

As soon as I looked up, I saw Mila-Rose rushing straight at me with her sword held over her head. I jerked to the left, barely dodging her blade by inches, but was blind-sided when I felt Sung-Sun's sai jab through my shoulder. I screamed out in pain as I swatted at the Arrancar, only to miss again.

"Okay, now you're getting pathetic," I heard Montezuma say. He sounded like he was shaking his head in shame.

I wanted to say something back, but at the moment, I was being rushed at from all ends. I ducked to avoid a slash from Apacci's chakram, but found myself with Mila-Rose's knee in my gut. I threw a wild haymaker in retaliation, which managed to make its mark on the side of her cheek, but I was soon cold-cocked on the side of my head by Sung-Sun's foot.

All the while, Montezuma was throwing out insults like a conveyor belt.

Anger and aggravation boiled in my stomach as I took blow after blow. I looked up and saw Apacci trying to hack at me from overhead. Without thinking, I held my arms up over my head, and the blades of Apacci's weapons wedged into my arms, stuck there.

I smiled inwardly, but the grin disappeared when I felt Sung-Sun's sai stab into my back, and Mila-Rose's two-handed sword pierce through my stomach. I opened my mouth and screamed out in pain, and I felt some blood ooze out from my mouth and out of the mask.

Of course, instead of any concern or worry, Montezuma scolded, "And look at you now! You have now officially gotten your ass beaten by three chicks. I swear you are an embarrassment to men anywhere. You're lucky I'm here, or you'd be fucking dead!"

Despite the unimaginable pain I was in, I was getting a little sick of Montezuma's attitude. All the anger that was in my stomach exploded as I shouted at the top of my pained lungs, "WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP?!"

I panted heavily, almost relieved to get that out, before I realized that the three were staring at me, all with the same look that said, 'What the fuck?' Suddenly, even though I was impaled with three different weapons, I suddenly felt a little awkward.

"Way to go, Johnny," Montezuma deadpanned. "That's one explanation you didn't need to give anytime soon."

I hung my head and sighed, still in the same position with the three's weapons stuck in my body, as I sent to Montezuma, Tell me about it.

Well, you've just read (and hopefully enjoyed) the 6th chapter of Bleached Bone Mask. The next chapter will come out a little late as well, though hopefully not as late as this one was.

Well, taking a page from the book of 'I Love Lucy,' it looks like Johnny's "got some 'splainin' to do."