I opened my eyes to see that the daylight which had been shining strong when I had last shut them was weak and rose-colored. There was a form of the woman I was traveling with (and couldn't seem to get rid of) stretched out on the floor inside a futon and blanket sleeping nearby. I looked over at the Mountain Spirit who looked back at me with an interested green stare.

"Your reiatsu is different," he informed me.

I could feel the difference too. It seemed to surround me in a just barely contained cloud, pushing out from under my skin. It felt thick and heavy, but not so that I couldn't move. The very air around me felt charged and the back of my tongue tasted slightly of ozone. The small, easily contained trickle of power I was accustomed to had been replaced with what felt like a raging ocean of power trying to fit itself in my mortal bones. I sorta wished that I had Zabimaru's seals back on me because being surrounded and submerged in spirit power that felt as thick as pea soup was a little unsettling.

"I, uh, unbound my chakra," I said reluctantly.

I was half tempted to try it out just to see how much of a punch I could pack with my new strength, but I didn't think my gracious host would appreciate me blowing holes in his home.

"How interesting," he mused.

"How long was I out for?" I asked curiously.

"The sun is breaking on the next day," he replied. "Miss Isana has yet to leave your side other than to go down the mountain for more food."

At the mention of food my stomach rumbled. I got up slowly, painfully. My body was stiff and sore from staying in one position on a cold stone floor for hours on end. I carefully began to stretch and work the pain and stiffness out of each muscle group, working from the ground up, stretching and limbering. I never skimped on my warm-ups, as a warrior I had quite enough respect for my main weapon, my body, to want to treat it right. If you couldn't move to lift a sword in a fight you were dead weight. It was stupid to risk injuring yourself with inadequate preparation when your opponent was already trying to injure you, it was like you were doing half his job for him.

After warm ups I decided that running through some forms with Baboon King Zabimaru, just to get a little more familiar and comfortable with him, was in order. A warrior, if he had any sense at all, never went into battle cold and with a weapon he didn't know at all. I had fought for decades with the Snaketail, now I had to teach myself over. It was best to start at the basics, with the forms.

"Howl, Zabimaru," I hissed, trying not to wake the little missy up.

The long, flat (slightly curved-edged) blade with the diamond-shaped tip materialized where the simple curve had been before. The smoke-like intricate metalwork of the hilt and guard firmed in my hand. I could practically feel the strength and balance humming from the blade. I ran through the basic blocks by the number, ten reps of each. Next came attacks, then lunges, then parries, also by the number. The numbered attack-block sets, ten reps each, followed by the basic attack-block-counter-attack sets. I wasn't working up a sweat or anything but he chill of the cave started to wear off as my body moved in the familiar patterns.

Zabimaru, of course, felt different in my hand. He wasn't quite a stranger, but my body kept telling me that my movements with him were not the ones I was accustomed to. My steps were wider, my stance was lower, my movements larger. Oh, he felt light and good and balanced in my hand, almost like swinging a feather, but at the same time... it still just wasn't what I was used to. He was straight and rigid and I sometimes felt the urge to move parts of me out of the way when I swung him.

After the repetition of the basics was through with, the new form of my sword felt a little less like a stranger to me, so I started on the first movement of forms that i had ever learned, trusting in my long standing familiarity with it to help me adjust more quickly. It was strange but going through that first form with Baboon King Zabimaru brought back memories of my first few days at the academy in the weapons class. Everything else about the new school, new world, and new life I had found myself in at that point had been strange and often unpleasant to me, but the moment the teacher handed that bokken to me and showed me the movements I was to learn something slipped into place for me.

I've never had any troubles picking up a new form and my body seems to have always done just what I asked of it. I liked physical exercise, I liked the feel of my muscles moving under my command, the feel of the air moving in and out of my chest, the steady pound of my heartbeat. It was when I was focusing my concentration on improving my strength, my form, making my every movement quick and sure and precise that I felt really alive.

So it was with the new form of Zabimaru. My body knew what it was supposed to do, so despite the basic unfamiliarity of the weapon in my hands my muscles moved smoothly, fluidly and with perfect control in the patterns of the form. My muscles automatically adjusted for the size of the weapon, it wasn't really all that different, Zabimaru extended after all, and slowly somehow the stranger became a friend to me. I began to revel a little bit in the satisfying strength in the weapon, the solidity of the strikes, the smoothness of the swings, the stability of the sword when it blocked.

I was past my third kata and almost to the point where I could begin to imagine an invisible opponent moving counter to me when I was brought out of my zone by loud clapping ringing in the cavern. I glared over, irritated at having been interrupted to note that the woman, Isana Rourke, had spread out a small meal on top of the blanket. My stomach let me know that it hadn't been filled in a while and would very much like to be so... right now.

I reformed the blade back in its quiescent state and sat down, cross legged, before her.

"Wow," she said, sounding impressed. "I saw you beat those men really easy but I didn't know you were a ninja or something."

"I'm a Soul Reaper," I replied, digging into the breakfast. "Hollows are mean and nasty monsters, some of them a really mean and really nasty, you don't beat them by asking them politely to join hands and sing cumbaya. Ya beat them by being tougher, stronger and better than they are, or they rip you apart and eat you."

"...oh," she said, in a small voice. "That sounds-"

"It's not a nice world I move in Missy," I said to her shortly. "It's full of dangers you can't even begin to imagine. The place I'll be going to is uncharted territory, even for the Soul Reapers. I don't even know what's out there in the Dangai, only that the creatures that crawl in the Dark Between are so tough and so dangerous that even the strongest of us leave them the hell alone if we want to survive."

She must have been taken aback and even frightened by the intensity in my face and in my voice. Good. I wanted her scared, she should be scared, then maybe she'd finally grow some sense and leave me to track it alone. I'd bring her kid back to her, she didn't need to be there and she'd just be in the way. But I knew the stubborn nature of a lot of women out there that said that if you implied they were weak and useless (even if they were) they'd strive harder than any new greenhorn to prove that they could do whatever the hell it was they'd put their minds to. I'd be the first to admit that women could be amazing, but in this case I didn't need a distraction getting in the way of my battle.

"I'm not scared," she said in a voice that tried to sound firm, but there was an undercurrent of tremor beneath it.

"Then yer an idiot, and I don't travel with idiots," I replied. "You've been helpful up until now and I thank you fer feedin' me an' helpin' me out, but this is where we part ways. There's no way I'm bringin' an untrained mortal woman with me to face an unknown enemy that's already shown me that it's got teeth. Big ones."

"I just have to find my son," she said desperately. "He's my whole world."

I steeled myself against the sorrow, desperation and fear in her eyes. That face that looked like Rukia's face pleading with me to understand, to help her.

:She's not Rukia,: I reminded myself, having to make a hard effort of will to resist. :She's not, Rukia and you can't cave!:

"Please," she begged, tears welling up. "Please he's my baby boy. he could be hurt..."

:Stop looking at me with her face!: I thought, teetering on the edge.

I'd always been a sucker for Rukia and her sad, lost pleading look. The fact that I knew this woman was not Rukia didn't seem to be helping my weakness one bit. I still wanted to cave.

"Look," I said, trying not to sound desperate. "You're a human-"

"So are you!" she protested.

"It's dangerous out there and you don't have any way to protect yerself if somethin' happens to me."

:And if anything happened to you and Byakuya Kuchiki ever found out about it, I'd be toast long before Rukia ever got a hold of me,: I added silently to my self.

"I don't care!" she said. "He's my son. I'm his mother, I brought him into this world, loved and nurtured and protected him. It's not just my duty or my responsibility to see him safe... it's my right. Can't you understand that?"

I paused. Not really. What did I know about parenthood? I'd never had a family besides the one I made for myself, what the heck would I know about it.

"Now look, I know you think you have to be there to get him back safely, but if you come with me I won;t be able to fight the way I need to because I'll be worried about your safety. You're just going to have to trust that I'll find yer son for you and bring him back safe. Okay?"

"No," she said stubbornly "It's not okay."

She backed up a pace and looked at me.

"I didn't want to do this to you," she said. "But you leave me no choice."

She thought she was going to do something to me? I sized her up and mentally snorted, yeah right.

"Solid firmament, growing life," she chanted. "Roots of the mountain, supporter of all. Treasures that shine beneath the surface. Firm path. Glass and stone take steps to the north."

She gestured, pointing a finger directly at me.

"Bind!" she commanded.

I reared back in surprise as I felt a spiritual density surround my body. Metaphysical shackles ringed around my wrists neck and ankles. On instinct I flared my reiatsu out at gold level and struggled against them. The spell tremored and Isana's face hardened with determination. She looked over at the Mountain Spirit and gritted her teeth as I poured out more power from the fount within me. The shackles began to loosen and move as I pushed against them. The Mountain Spirit rose to his feet. I tried to reach for Zabimaru.

"He's fighting me!" she said.

Like duh, what the hell did the wench think I was going to do? I pushed harder, increasing my level to orange and the bonds started to buckle.

"I can't hold him!" she gasped.

Of course she couldn't hold me, stupid human.

"Wandering path, sword of the warrior," the Nature Spirit said softly. "Metal that finds its source in the earth. Iron of the Blood, strength of the bones. By this spell be woven."

The slight bonds that had been woven around me by Isana's reiatsu were suddenly increased by about a hundred fold.

"This contract be written by the strength of the earth," he continued. "Let this warrior, bound to his mortal bones, be bound in turn to serve this woman until the fulfillment of these conditions. He shall track down and rescue her child and return them both safely to the mortal world, or until such a time as she commands his release."

I felt a strange green power well up from the air around me, a choking mist that tasted of moist damp earth and fresh growing greenery. It surrounded me in a whirlwind of misty glowing green light. I'd felt some serious spiritual pressures before, but I'd never felt anything like that. It was... it was even more overwhelming than the Kuchiki at his finest, even more powerful than Yama-sama when he unleashed his reiatsu.

"Bind," he said softly.

I felt those bonds sink into my flesh and spirit, bleeding into my own spiritual power like a strange earthy miasma. The whirlwind abated and I looked up at them.

"Whad'ja do ta me?" I asked, looking down at my hands, trying to see the difference.

I could smell that earth power in me, mingling with my own scent... it was still in there.

"I'm sorry Renji," she apologized sincerely. "It was the only way I could think of you get you to take me to my boy."

I didn't want an apology, I wanted to know what she'd done to me!

"what have you done?" I demanded again.

"A binding spell," the Mountain Spirit said. "Written by the power of the Earth, here in my stronghold. You're bound to Isana Rourke by your mortal bones to help her find her son and return them to this world."

Wha-? Bound? How could that be? You couldn't bind a Soul Reaper, Soul Reapers were death! You can't bind death!

But I was mortal now.

Falling on my sword was starting to look more and more like an attractive prospect. Only the thought that if I died as a human that I might be placed back into the cycle of death and rebirth stopped me. I didn't want to go back to Hangdog, not in this life or any other.

"I'm bound to serve a mortal?" I demanded, staring at the both of them in shock and disbelief.

"Until she releases you or you fulfill the obligations of your contract, yes," the Mountain Spirit said. "You fight for her, serve her and protect her while you track down her son and then when you find him, you will protect them both while you bring them safely to the mortal realm."

I had just been made into a mortal slave? What?

"An' what if I tell ya ta take yer offer and blow it outcher ass?" I demanded, folding my arms over my chest as a signal that I wasn't going nowhere or doin' nuthin'.

"You have no choice," the mountain spirit said. "The bond is set."

"I'm sorry," she said sadly. "I-"

"Sorry? If you were really sorry you'd release me!" I snapped.

"I wish I could, I really do, but you're the only way I have of getting to my baby, and if I let you go into that other place alone I won't know what happens, if you succeed or not. At least this way I'll know for certain. I'm not your jailer, we both have the same goal, I just need to know what happened to my son."

"I'da still helped you," I growled angrily. "Ida brought 'im back to ya."

"I sense you're a good person and that you would have tried your best, but your Soul Society still holds power over you and I couldn't be certain which power would be stronger in the end. I don't doubt your honor, but you said yourself that you're not always free to do what you want."

"Well I sure as hell am not now!" I said, still angry with her for tricking me.

I strained against the bonds that held me in place and managed to raise myself to a position where I only kneeled on one knee but could go no further, even as I exerted myself against the sword that I had point down next to my body to rise to my feet.

I was pissed. I was so mad at this woman I could chew nails. How dare she slap a spell on me to make me into her little pup, how dare she take my will away from me! I glared hard at her with all of the rage and ferocity I could manage and had the satisfaction of seeing her back up a few paces, fear written on her face.

"Please don't be mad," she begged. "What if it were your son? What if it were someone you loved dearly, the center of your world, in trouble? Wouldn't you do absolutely everything you could to get him back, to keep him safe?"

I really, really, really, hated that her words touched on a subject that was still a sore one with me. I couldn't claim ignorance when she put it to me like that. If it were Rukia, I would absolutely anything and everything in my power to get to where she was. I wouldn't hesitate to walk straight into hell, I wouldn't flinch to use someone else as a means to get her back, and I wouldn't care who it was.

"Fine," I growled. "Since it seems I have no choice anyway, you can come with me into the Dark Between and git yer son back. I'll use my strength to protect you."

My boss and Rukia would kill me and then hunt down my next ten reincarnations to kill me again if I let harm come to this woman. Besides, it wasn't exactly like I didn't understand her. I couldn't truly be angry with a woman who loved her kid enough to do whatever it took to get him back. Part of me even admired her spunk.

:Fine, so it looks like I'm playin' guardian knight to her princess for the next little while,: I grumbled to myself.

"Then in return," she said firmly, actually looking a little bit like a princess accepting an oath of fealty from her knight. "I promise I will release you when my son and I are safe together or when it's become obvious that we can't possibly go any further."

It sounded like a fair deal to me, or at least as fair as it was going to get.

"And as payment for my help in binding him to your aid Miss Isana," the Mountain Spirit prompted. Holding up a scroll and inserting it into a green and gold enameled carying tube and twisting the seals over the ends. "Please remember your part of our bargain and see that this gets to the Court of Genbu."

"A deal's a deal," Isana said, accepting the letter and tucking it into her enormous sling bag.

I couldn't help feeling like I'd just been had.

"Well then good," the spirit said. "I'll open a portal to the next Realm over for you."

"How do you know that we'll find a trace of the Shadow there?" I asked, looking at him suspiciously. I wouldn't put it past the fox-eyed little spirit to send us on a wild goose chase for his own amusement.

"Shadows wield immense power even in their current faded forms, but they still remember their former glory and many of them long for homes of their own again now that their former Realms have eroded away to practically nothing."

"Meaning?" Isana prompted.

"Meaning that they are extremely reluctant to waste any more of their own personal power than is absolutely necessary. Building a Portal from world to world takes knowledge, focus and power, but the farther that realm is located in relation to another realm in the Dangai, the stronger the portal must be, and the more power it takes to maintain it over long distances. A Shadow can build a portal to appear of disappear at will into and out of the mortal realm with relative ease because the mortal realm by its nature has a porous sort of fabric making it easy to access, but as for the other realms in the Dangai, most of those were built with privacy in mind, as sanctuaries for powerful gods... they are not at all easily accessible. A Shadow will cross the shortest distance possible using a portal but then will rely upon the Gate system to get it wherever else in the Dangai that it needs to go. All you have to do is pick up its trail from the closest realm and follow it."

:That's all huh?: I thought with heavy irony.

Here it comes, the journey begins.