CW: suicide

The mood after the volleyball rally was grim. Even Rukia, who had been blissfully excited about her time at Shujin, seemed subdued. When she mentioned the prospect of more Shinigami training this afternoon, Akira could barely find it within himself to care. This time, however, Ryuji was invited, as said 'Shinigami training' turned out to be whacking balls at the batting cage in Yongen-Jaya. As the duo hit ball after ball, Rukia shouted out well-meaning but rather dubious advice. As their session came to an end, Akira was hot, damp, and his arms were beginning to ache, but the oppressive weight of Shujin's crushing atmosphere had finally gone away.

"I didn't realise swingin' a bat would be much like swingin' a sword." Ryuji mused, sweat dripping down his brow as he dropped down onto a seat, exhausted.

"It's a long object you hit things with." Rukia shrugged, puzzling over a juice box before Akira took pity on her and showed her how to use the straw. After a muttered thanks, the Shinigami continued. "Of course, it'd be useless for teaching the finer parts of Zanjutsu, but it's not like Kurusu will be duelling anyone."

"Can Hollows have swords?" Ryuji asked.

Rukia wrinkled her nose. "Sword-like appendages, maybe."

"Man, sounds freaky. I kinda wish I could see them."

"Speaking of spirits…" The girl muttered. "I think it's time to move on to the next step of your training. Sakamoto, keep an eye on Kurusu's body."

"Keep an eye on his what?!"

Before Akira could even blink, the red glove was on Rukia's fist, and his soul was tumbling out of his body. Looking down at the limp pile of lanky limbs that was his mortal form, the frizzy-haired boy sighed. "You don't have to hit me quite so hard, you know."

Rukia just shrugged. "It's better to be safe than sorry. And calm down, Sakamoto – Kurusu can't perform his Shinigami duties while in his human body, that's all."

Now that his initial shock had worn off, Ryuji's eyes flickered between Akira's body, and the approximate spot the Substitute Shinigami was standing in. "Huh, freaky. I can't even hear him…" The blond narrowed his eyes, peering down. "I can kinda see your shadow though, dude."

"That's because you know to look for it." Rukia pointed out. "Anyway, we'll be back shortly."

Curious, Akira followed Rukia as they left the batting cages, and re-entered the narrow streets of Yogen-Jaya.

"Now, the primary purpose of my assignment here is to battle Hollows." Rukia pointed out. "However, I do have a secondary duty. Sending Wholes to the Soul Society, a process called Konsō. While some spirits pass to the other world without aid, many linger in the World of the Living. If they stay here, however… disastrous consequences can occur."

Akira thought about the Hollow that had attacked them, and shuddered. "So, how do we do it?"

"I'll show you. It's remarkably easy – even Sakamoto wouldn't have any trouble. Now, hurry up – I think I sensed a Whole a few blocks away."

It was more than a few blocks – the lingering spirit was on the outskirts of the suburb – but Rukia was remarkably quick for her size. Being in his Shinigami form also made Akira feel lighter, somehow – like he could run a marathon without breaking a sweat. I suppose that's because my skills in this form are powered by my Reiryoku, as opposed to my physical strength. Clearly, Akira had more of the former than the latter.

In the end, the Whole turned out to be an older woman who was restlessly peering into an apartment. Her old home, perhaps.

"Come on. Get her attention." Rukia commanded.

Reminding himself that he was invisible to normal humans and therefore technically wasn't trespassing, Akira hopped over the fence, before cautiously approaching the woman and tapping her on the shoulder. "Uh, hello?"

She whirled around, the chain on her chest clinking as she blinked in shock. "You – you can see me? How?!"

"Uh, I'm a Shinigami, ma'am. Well, a Shinigami in training, anyway."

The elderly woman narrowed her eyes. "I see. What do you want with me?"

It was Rukia that answered. "He's here to send you over to the Soul Society, the land where spirits go to rest."

The woman wrung her hands, glancing through the window. "But, my family…"

"You can't do anything to help them. Lingering here will only cause you both pain." Rukia's voice was uncharacteristically gentle.

She was clearly unhappy with Rukia's words, but the silver-haired woman didn't put up a fuss, and merely nodded.

"Now, withdraw your Zanpakutō." Rukia demanded, much to Akira's shock.

… He wasn't going to have to stab the grandma, was he? Akira didn't think he had it in him to shank a random old woman. The man who got him arrested, on the other hand…

Rukia rolled her eyes, clearly sensing his reluctance. "You're not going to stab her, fool. Tap her forehead with the hilt of your blade."

Akira followed her command, his eyes widening with surprise as a white symbol appeared where the hilt of his Zanpakutō had touched the woman's head, and moments later, a brilliant blue light engulfed her. As the ghost faded away, a black swallowtail butterfly appeared and fluttered off into the distance. It was… beautiful, in a strange way. A bittersweet melancholy settled into Akira's chest. He wasn't sure if he'd want to keep monster hunting once Rukia left, but Konsō was one power he could imagine himself growing to miss.

…..

Despite the grim atmosphere that hung over Shujin like a cloud, Rukia was still determined to make the most of her time in the World of the Living. If she would not gain any joy from the school itself, she would gain joy from something else, instead. Today, she planned to try one of these 'vending machines' that seemingly covered all of Shibuya like a plague. Sakamoto had mentioned that the one near the school gate had the best stuff, so during their lunch break, Rukia decided to try her luck.

(It wasn't an excuse to escape the slander that filled the school's halls like toxic ooze. It wasn't.)

As Rukia walked back towards the main building, soda in hand, she froze when she heard a strangled sob. Looking around, her eyes landed on a small alcove, nestled behind some lockers. A boy was slumped down on a bench, cradling his head in his hands. She must have made a noise, as he suddenly looked up directly in her direction, eyes wide. It took her a second to place him, but Rukia soon realised he was the boy who'd gotten hurt at the rally yesterday.

"My apologies. I didn't mean to disturb you." Rukia curtsied, before genuine worry overtook her faux-polite act. "Are you alright? That was a nasty blow you took yesterday."

"I-I'm fine." He stammered, not meeting her eyes.

Rukia frowned. While all the volleyball players had been battered, he was the worst of the lot by a mile. As she scanned the dark purple splotches donning his face and body, she frowned. It was painfully clear that some of them were finger marks, as opposed to the bruising of a ball.

"Here." She sighed, stepping forward, internally cursing what she was about to do. The boy flinched as she lifted her hand, and despite the complicated emotions whirling within her, Rukia forced a wink. "People always joke that I have healing hands. Maybe they'll help?"

Gathering a slither of Reiryoku, she quickly performed a low-level healing spell. It didn't dull any of the bruises, but hopefully, it would take some of the edge off his pain.

"That… does feel a bit better, actually." The boy blinked, surprised.

"See, what did I tell you? It's a perfect example of the placebo effect!" The smile dropped off her face, and before she could stop herself, Rukia blurted out. "Did Kamoshida give those to you?"

The boy froze, eyes widening like a deer in the headlights. "… Excuse me. I've got to go to practice."

As he ran away, Rukia couldn't take her eyes off his back. She needed to have a conversation with Sakamoto.

…..

After class ended, Akira wove his way through the halls. Rukia had wanted to talk to him and Ryuji about something, so they'd planned to reconvene on the roof. On his way though, Akira found himself bumping into Takamaki's friend, Suzui. She'd looked even more worn down than she had yesterday, and seemed to flinch at his every move. That didn't stop her from telling him not to let the rumours get him down, however, in an ironic mirror of what Takamaki had said to Rukia the other day. As they went their separate ways, it was with a smile, but Akira still found his stomach churning. Just what the hell was Kamoshida doing to the volleyball team?!

When Akira arrived at the roof, Rukia was already there. She gave him a terse nod, but otherwise seemed content to keep her thoughts to herself. Akira didn't mind, however – after that encounter with Suzui, didn't feel much like talking either.

"Yo, what's up!" Ryuji swung open the door cheerfully, immediately frowning when he noticed the dire atmosphere. "Uh… what happened? You both look like someone's died."

Rukia and Akira exchanged a glance, and Akira gestured for her to go first – she was the one who'd wanted to speak, after all. She cut to the point and looked straight into Ryuji's eyes. "… What did Kamoshida do to you?"

Ryuji paled, sucking in a deep breath like he'd been punched, and Akira froze in shock at the bluntness of Rukia's question.

The Shinigami sighed, and began to explain. "When you first complained about him, I assumed you were just being a typical teenager. But there's something more to it, isn't there? It's obvious – Kamoshida's been using corporal punishment on his team, hasn't he? I met the boy from the rally, and most of his wounds weren't caused by a ball."

The blond's eyes widened. "Have you changed your mind? A-are you going to use ghost-magic on him?"

Rukia pinched her brow. "It's called Kidō, and no, of course not. However, it's clear your complaints aren't baseless. If we can gather enough evidence, we can hopefully report him to the human authorities."

Akira mulled it over. It wasn't a bad idea, actually. The problem was though what Rukia had mentioned – evidence. Kamoshida was a violent creep, but he was subtle about it – even Akira wasn't entirely sure if the volleyball team's state was intentional or accidental until Rukia had confirmed it.

Ryuji scowled and kicked the ground. "There's no point. All the students either pretend he's a saint, or are too scared to speak up." The blond's shoulders slumped. "It's… it's all my fault."

Akira narrowed his brows. "Pardon?"

"It's because of me that everyone's too scared to challenge Kamoshida." With a sigh, Ryuji flopped back against the railings and stared into the sky. "I don't come from the fanciest background. My dad was a violent drunk and left me and my mum when I was a kid. I dunno what the Soul Society is like, but Japan looks down on single mothers, even if they're doing their best."

"… It depends on what part of Soul Society you're in. Nobody would blink an eye in the districts, but if you were a noble…" Rukia's lips were a thin line.

Ryuji scrunched his brow. "Noble?"

Rukia shrugged. "It doesn't matter. You were saying?"

"… Right." Ryuji ran a hand down his face, and Akira felt a pang in his chest. He'd never seen him look this vulnerable before. "We don't have much money, and I ain't very book smart, but I can – I could run. I joined the track team, hoping I'd be good enough to get a scholarship."

Akira did not like the use of the past tense there. Rukia's thoughts had clearly followed the same direction, and her already serious expression grew grimmer.

Ryuji continued his story, oblivious to his friends' reactions. How the track team had excelled and was scouted for the nationals. How Kamoshida got their coach fired, took over the team himself, and then ran them into the ground. How when they complained, no one listened, and how finally, Kamoshida had baited Ryuji by comparing him to his deadbeat dad. The teenager had lost his temper, swung a fist at the bastard's face, and Kamoshida had promptly knocked him to the floor and broken his leg.

"And he didn't get in trouble for that?!" Rukia hissed, eyes as wide as saucers.

"Of course he didn't." Akira snarled, rage bubbling inside him, as memories of a drunken man and police sirens blared in his mind. "Ryuji's just some upstart brat from a broken home, and Kamoshida-sensei is a vaunted Olympic medallist and a national hero. Who the hell's side do you think the cops would take?!" At Rukia's stricken expression and Ryuji's wide-eyed shock, a wave of guilt crashed over Akira. Sighing, he settled back down, thinning his lips. "I'm sorry. It's just… Ryuji's story hit close to home."

"Dude, you can say that again." Ryuji whistled.

Rukia shook her head. "No apology needed – I can understand your rage at this injustice. While the Soul Society lacks many of the issues that plague the human world, I am familiar with how those with privileged backgrounds can get away with abusing those without."

Akira frowned. That… wasn't a particularly reassuring statement. He would have hoped the afterlife would be free of such attitudes altogether. But then again, I shouldn't be surprised – even if they are dead, they're still people.

"But, yeah." Ryuji concluded. "That's why nobody's gonna stand up to him. They're all too scared of having their futures ruined like mine was."

In the grim silence that followed, all thoughts of Suzui Shiho had left Akira's mind.

…..

Mishima Yuuki would regret many things in his life. Most of those regrets would be petty, stupid mistakes that'd randomly float to the front of his mind and make him cringe. Some of them were not, and none of them would haunt him anywhere near as much as his actions that overcast Thursday afternoon. The transfer student's mysterious healing powers had worn off, and his entire body ached. Yuuki couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand any of this. Unfortunately, he had no choice, and if Yuuki did what Kamoshida asked him to, the pain would stop for at least a little while. He wanted Suzui, and therefore, Suzui was what he was going to get. It was just one afternoon – it'd hurt, but she could take it, right…?

(Hindsight is everything. Yuuki thought Kamoshida was just going to do to her what he did to him. That was not the case.)

…..

It was a Friday morning when everything went to hell. The day was grey and muggy, but the rain seemed to be holding off, leaving the air uncomfortably humid. Akira was in the middle of a social studies class – Ushimaru's lecture might have been interesting if there any chance of Akira ever getting a government job.

(There was not.)

When one of the boys who sat at the front of the class suddenly rocketed to his feet, nobody had any idea about the terrible direction the day was about to take.

"What's that?" He called, brows furrowed, as he peered out of the window.

The girl next to him gasped, eyes wide. "I-is she going to jump?!"

Ignoring Ushimaru's demands for quiet, more and more students leapt to their feet.

"Suzui?" The gasp came from the boy who'd gotten hit during the rally, Mishima. Underneath his bruises, his skin was as pale as a ghost's.

Akira's blood turned to ice, as he snapped upright, all thoughts of class forgotten.

In the seat in front of him, Takamaki rose to her feet, the full ramifications of the situation not yet hitting her. "… Shiho?"

Most of the students had frozen, entirely unable to process what was happening, when with a scream, Takamaki raced out of the classroom, Mishima following moments behind. Akira exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Rukia, and ignoring Ushimaru's shouts, they quickly followed suit.

It all happened so quickly. One second, there was a small figure on the roof.

The next, there was not.

A horrid, strangled gasp escaped Takamaki's throat, which Akira could barely hear over the blood roaring in his ears. D-did she just…? The world blurred around him for a second, and he barely noticed the blonde running off.

"Akira!" Rukia's voice snapped him out of his fog. "We have to go!"

Of course. He nodded mutely, racing alongside her to the courtyard. Rukia knows healing spells, right?!

Crashing down the hallways, they almost collided with Ryuji, who took one look at them and slipped in alongside them. "Comin' through!" He called, shoving students out of their way.

Whispers filled the halls, but for once, they were not about Akira. Squeezing out of the doors and into the central courtyard, a glimmer of hope flickered into his chest as he saw the flock of paramedics swarming around the scene.

They'd almost reached Takamaki's side when one of the paramedic's voices pierced the air like a knife. "… Bad angle – broken neck. If it's any consolation, she wouldn't have felt anything…"

Akira swayed on his feet, staggering as if a sledgehammer had hit him, as a desperate howl like a wounded animal tore through the air, filled with more grief and rage than anything Akira could even fathom. Sinking to her knees, Takamaki continued to wail.

Suzui Shiho was dead.

The rest of the afternoon passed by in a blur. Akira stood, dumbstruck, as the teachers desperately tried to control the hysterical students. Everything seemed to rush around him, a blur of colour and noise that didn't quite feel real. Akira didn't see Ryuji moving, but the boy was suddenly at Takamaki's side, holding her like they'd never drifted apart as she sobbed into his shoulder. He'd almost forgotten Ryuji said that they were once friends.

Rukia's gentle hand drifted over his arm, and too numb to put up any fight, Akira let her guide him away. Instead of returning to the classroom, however, she brought him to a small courtyard blocked away from the rest of the world by a series of vending machines. Taking him to a bench, they sat in silence, Akira quietly processing the drastic turn the day had taken. They could have been there for minutes, or even hours – Akira didn't know.

"I've never seen someone die before." He murmured, still feeling as if his mind and body existed on two separate planes of reality.

Rukia's lips curled into a frown, and he couldn't decipher the look in her eyes. "… It doesn't get easier. You learn to push on regardless, but it never gets easier."

Akira didn't reply, but he also didn't need to. Rukia leant into his shoulder, and instinctively, Akira rested his head on top of hers. They stayed together until the school began to close.

…..

Akira: Are you alright?

Ryuji: yeah. well, as good as i'm gonna be. it just doesn't feel real, y'know?

Akira: I get it. I can still barely believe it myself

Akira: Is Takamaki-san okay?

Ryuji: not really. she was crying so much, kawakami took pity on us and let us leave early

Ryuji: her parents are overseas, so i brought her back to my place. mum's looking after her now

Akira bit his lip, sitting on the corner of his bed. There was no Shinigami training today, for obvious reasons, so after school had ended he'd stumbled straight back to Leblanc.

God, poor Takamaki though. He'd barely even spoken to Suzui, and he didn't think he'd ever felt worse in his life. The girls had been best friends – if he was this upset, Takamaki must be feeling awful right now. A pang of grief ran through Akira's chest. They'd only talked once, but Suzui had treated him with kindness and grace. She deserved so much better than this.

He must have drifted off, as he found himself waking up to the ping of his phone. It was Rukia.

Rukia: Hello, Akira. Apologies, but I thought it would be prudent to leave Sakamoto out of this discussion.

Akira: This is about Suzui, right?

Rukia: Exactly. Given his emotional nature, involving him with the practicalities of this situation would be asking too much. We should let him grieve in peace.

Akira: Good call.

He paused, thumb trembling.

Akira: Do you think she might have moved on to the Soul Society peacefully?

Rukia: It's technically possible, but considering the nature of her death, I doubt it. I'm sorry.

Rukia: Take this evening to rest. It normally takes a few hours for a Whole to properly materialise, and I haven't sensed any Hollows lately. We can send her on tomorrow after school.

Akira: Sure. See you there.

…..

Akira's sleep was disturbed that night. He was not plagued by nightmares, exactly, but he swam in and out of consciousness, haunted by mottled shapes that blurred together and a sense of profound unease.

Shujin had never been pleasant, but the pall that hung over the school was palpable. Much to Akira's surprise, Takamaki was in class when he got there. Her skin was pale, and she hadn't bothered with any make-up today, leaving the dark rings under her eyes unobscured. He supposed she decided it was better to come here than being at home alone with her thoughts.

Nobody really paid any attention in class, unsurprisingly, and when they were dismissed, Rukia dragged him to a quiet corner by the stairwell.

"What's the plan?" He asked.

Rukia folded her arms, biting her lip. "We'll find somewhere quiet and wait until most of the students have left. We don't want any innocent bystanders finding your body, after all."

Akira nodded. It was the unfortunate downside of not having Ryuji's company – in other circumstances, he could have kept watch. He had no objections to Rukia's plan, however – given what had happened to Suzui, if someone stumbled across his unresponsive form… well, it was a disaster waiting to happen.

A voice then echoed across the clearing. "Hey, what are you two gossipin' about?"

Akira and Rukia froze, like children caught with a hand in the cookie jar. It was Ryuji. While his lopsided grin wasn't as vibrant as usual, it was clear he was totally oblivious to the plotting going on before him. Akira and Rukia exchanged a panicked glance. Shit. What the hell were they going to tell him? In the end, Rukia decided to bite the bullet.

"Just some Shinigami business – nothing I thought you'd be interested in." She explained, and Akira prayed Ryuji didn't pick up on the hitch in her voice.

Any hint of joviality faded from the blond's expression, and internally, Akira swore. "…This is about Shiho, isn't it."

It was not a question.

Rukia took a half step forward, not quite meeting Ryuji's eyes. "We need to send her on to the Soul Society. I asked Akira not to involve you – I thought it would just dredge up more grief."

Upon hearing her words, the fire building up in Ryuji's eyes snuffed out. Sighing, he shoved his hands into his pockets. "... I want to come." At their surprised expressions, he diverted his gaze. "Look, I know I won't be able to see her or hear her, but… I wanna be able to say goodbye. I think she'd like that."

"Oh…" Sympathy poured out from Rukia's eyes, and she rested a hand on her chest. "Of course, Sakamoto."

He rolled his eyes. "Honestly, you can just call me Ryuji. Do I look like I care about all that formal bullshit?"

Rukia's laugh was refreshing. "No, definitely not."

…..

They didn't talk much as they waited for the rest of the students to go home. Ryuji spent most of the time on his phone, looking at god-knows-what. Rukia, meanwhile, seemed content to meditate in silence. With little else to do, Akira tried practising his sensing, until he picked up a mote of Reiatsu that might have been Suzui, and blanching, he abandoned it in favour of working on his homework. As the sun slowly dipped over the horizon, the hubbub surrounding them began to fade. Long shadows cast themselves across the courtyard, and Rukia stood up.

"It's time." She must have listened to Akira's complaints, as when she knocked his soul from his body, it was more of a flick than a punch.

"Man, that's always gonna be weird." Ryuji blinked.

"Come on." Rukia sighed, as Akira propped his body up on one of the benches. "We have Konsō to perform."

As the trio ventured into the school grounds, a wave of surrealness ran over Akira. Shujin had always been a hub of noise and movement – seeing it so empty was eerie. Judging by the way Ryuji kept on glancing around everywhere, Akira assumed he felt the same way. While there were still a few faint specks of Reiatsu around, without the students, pinpointing Shiho was even easier.

"She's on the other side of the school." Akira sighed. Shujin was massive compared to his old high school – it would take ages to reach her.

Ryuji rubbed his chin after Rukia translated for him. "Why don't we just cut through the building itself? If I'm right about how your ghost stuff works, nobody will be able to see us if we're next to Akira, so it's not like we'll get in trouble."

Mulling it over, Akira shrugged. There was no harm in trying – it'd save them a good ten minutes. Much to his surprise, when they reached the central building's entrance, Akira didn't even have to fiddle with the lock – the door just swung right open.

"So much for security." He scoffed, and Ryuji and Rukia both winced. For an academy as fancy as Shujin, the lack of care was alarming. Where the hell was all the parents' money going?

… Probably into Kamoshida's wages, now that Akira thought about it. Ugh.

The silence was stifling, only broken by the echo of Ryuji and Rukia's footsteps. Hence, when Rukia's dodgy old flip phone chimed, it was as loud as a gunshot, and they all jumped out of their skin. Grumbling, Rukia grabbed it out of her bag, but as she read the text, however, her eyes blew wide open.

"Akira! It's a Hollow alert!" Rukia hissed, and he whirled around. "Six PM, plus or minus five minutes, Shujin Academy!"

Akira barely had time to think oh, fuck, before a wave of dark miasma burst into the air around them, and the familiar howl of a Hollow echoed in the distance.

…..

Akira and his friends were not the only ones sneaking through Shujin's halls that night.

Pursing her lips, Ann checked her phone from where she was huddled behind some lockers. It was now six – the school had officially been closed for over an hour. Not even Ushimaru would be here anymore.

The fun thing about having a teacher who desperately wanted to get into her pants was that he told her things he really, really shouldn't. Most of the time, it was awful, lecherous garbage about how pretty she was or how he'd be able to give her the care she deserved. It made Ann want to puke, honestly. Sometimes, however, Kamoshida let something more useful slip. Unfortunately, despite his offers to take her to his place for some much-needed 'downtime' (the mere thought made Ann shudder), Kamoshida hadn't actually given her his address. He was unlikely to give it to her now, either. With Shiho gone, so was his leverage over her – he'd move on to easier, less reluctant prey.

There was a bright side, though – given Kamoshida had never told Ann his address, she wouldn't be the chief suspect when she slit the brakes on his car and he hopefully drove himself into a streetlight or something.

(You see, Ann was here for revenge.)

His arrogance would still be his undoing, however, as one of the silly little secrets he'd told her was that Shujin's cameras shut off overnight. It was one of principal Kobayakawa's attempts at cutting costs, apparently – he thought the street cameras would be enough to catch any delinquents, vandals, or thieves. Creeping through the halls, it didn't take her long to reach the principal's office. Slipping on a pair of gloves, Ann opened the door. Hurrying to his computer, she nudged the mouse and was rewarded when his monitor flared to life, still signed in. Thank god for teachers' general tech incompetence!

She found the teacher's payslips with ease, and Kamoshida Suguru's address was burned into her eyes. Not quite trusting her memory – she was good with words, but honestly, fuck numbers – she grabbed a pen, and wrote it down on her arm. She didn't want to leave any evidence she couldn't destroy, after all.

Scanning the room, and making sure she didn't leave any stray hairs behind, Ann made her escape. As she darted down the stairs and burst out of the doors, she almost laughed in disbelief. A part of her never thought she'd make it this far. While she couldn't leave by any of the official exits – street cameras, yet again – there was a trellis on one of the walls. If she climbed down it, Ann would be out of the school, and everyone would be none the wiser. As she raced across the school grounds, however, Ann's jubilation quickly faded into unease. It was almost as if there was something dark and cloying lingering in the air. She shook her head. No shit Shujin felt creepy right now. It was dark, and her best friend had died there yesterday.

She shouldn't have dismissed her instincts.

"Ann, watch out!"

As the cry echoed across the yard, Ann stumbled. She'd recognise that voice anywhere. Shiho?! But how!?

It was then that something smashed into her with all the force of a truck, and everything went dark.

…..

Bursting through the doors, Akira unsheathed his Zanpakutō. He didn't even need to concentrate to feel the Hollow's Reiatsu – it was a churning black cloud of malice so thick, he could barely even sense Suzui's presence under its weight.

"Stay away from her!" Suzui's voice suddenly roared out with more fire than he'd realised she was capable of, and it was then that he sensed the second speck of human Reiatsu.

Akira cursed, picking up his pace, Ryuji and Rukia trailing behind him as he moved faster than any mortal could. Whirling around the corner and into the school's dusty yard, Akira stumbled to a halt, eyes wide as he absorbed the scene.

Suzui stood before a massive Hollow, defiance glaring in her eyes, unburdened by the broken chain dangling down from her chest. Another Whole crouched behind her, but he didn't linger on them for long, as he was distracted by a body sprawled across the floor, blood seeping from its side. He recognised Takamaki's blonde hair immediately.

Then, the spirit behind Suzui staggered to her feet, and Akira's blood ran cold as he realised it was also Takamaki.

No no no no no no no –

He had no time to continue freaking out, however, as the Hollow let out a gurgling snarl, and stepped towards the trembling girls. It wasn't an amphibious beast, like the last he'd fought. Instead, it was more reptilian in nature, with a long, sharp-toothed mask, a hefty spiked tail, and claws the size of cats.

Akira ran towards them, but he would never reach the girls in time. If he could distract the Hollow, however, maybe he could buy the seconds he desperately needed. Mustering all of his concentration, he flared his Reiatsu as much as he could and shouted. "Over here, you overgrown lizard!"

He wasn't sure if it was the words or the volume that did the trick, but either way, the Hollow turned around, snarling. Before Akira could even blink, it smashed its tail into his torso, tossing him into the air. Winded, he crashed into the ground, rolling away until he eventually came to a halt. Wiping a trickle of blood from his lips, Akira staggered to his feet. Despite the ache in his chest, triumph glittered inside him as the Hollow continued to prowl his way, devoting its full attention to the Shinigami. He grinned – his plan had been a success.

Akira charged forward, and this time managed to deflect its tail with his Zanpakutō. His eyes widened though as it opened its jaws and spat a mouthful of acid his way, which he barely managed to dodge. Warily taking a step back, he circled the beast, something almost akin to amusement shining in its eyes as it mirrored his moves. Footsteps echoed behind him, but he dared not take his eyes off the Hollow.

"Ann!" Ryuji cried, his voice a horrified wail.

"Hold it!" Rukia snapped, and Akira could vividly imagine her holding him back. "She's not dead yet – her Chain of Fate is still in one piece!"

Brows furrowed, he glanced to the side. While a chain dangled from Ann's chest, it trailed back to her body, connecting the two together.

"Ryuji? Kuchiki? Kurusu?" The blonde gawped, looking down at her body and blanching. "Shiho, what on earth is going on here?!"

"I-I don't know!" The dark-haired girl baulked, skin pale.

The sound must have caught the Hollow's attention, as it turned back to face the girls. Rushing in, Akira leapt over its tail, only to be clipped by a blast of acid. Gritting his teeth, he ignored the biting pain in his leg and continued his advance. The Hollow slashed down at him with its claws, and Akira quickly parried them with his blade, straining under the monster's weight. Desperately, he pushed back – if he won this power struggle, he might get the chance to land a finishing blow.

It was then that the Hollow's face appeared right in front of him, and as it opened its mouth, he swallowed as he realised he was just about to get a face full of acid.

"Hadō #1. Shō!" Rukia yelled.

The Hollow's chin snapped upwards as if an invisible force had punched it. The weight pressing down on Akira lessened, and with a flick of his sword, he knocked away the Hollow's arm, stabbing his Zanpakutō towards its throat.

The blade nicked its flesh, but the Hollow's skin was far tougher than Akira had anticipated, and it was not a lethal blow. Cursing, he flipped out of the way as the Hollow recovered from Rukia's spell, and blasted another blob of acid straight at him.

…..

Ann had never been more terrified or confused in her life. Shiho was here, which was fantastic, even if she looked vaguely translucent and there was a broken chain dangling from her chest. Less fantastic was the ginormous monster duking it out with Kurusu, Kuchiki, and Ryuji. Or, well, maybe just Kurusu and Kuchiki – Ryuji's sole contribution mainly seemed to be standing around looking panicked. Not that she could blame him – it wasn't like Ann was doing anything besides that herself.

Shiho covered her mouth, dark eyes shining as she watched the duel. "W-we have to do something!"

As Kurusu dodged another blob of acid and Kuchiki launched a ball of fire which the monster shrugged off with ease, Ann couldn't help but agree. They were losing, fast. As she stepped forward, the heavy chain on her chest – and she was not going to think about the implications of that right now – almost pulled her back down. Ann had no idea how its weight wasn't bringing Shiho to her knees.

Unless… an idea suddenly popped into her mind. She gave the chain an experimental tug, and it didn't budge. "Shiho, I have a plan! We need to lure the monster over here!"

Confusion flickered in her friend's eyes, but she nodded, resolute. "O-okay!"

Balling her hands into fists, Shiho charged, and Ann felt a wave of energy bursting off her friend. Huh - that's strange. Ann ignored it though, as really, it wasn't weirder than anything else that had happened that night.

With a yell, Shiho ducked under the beast's tail and tackled its leg. "Pick on someone your own size, you overgrown brute!"

The monster barely staggered, and almost bit Shiho as she quickly scrambled back towards Ann, ignoring Kurusu and Kuchiki's horrified cries. With the same agility she'd been known for on the court, Shiho rolled out of the way as it spat a blob of acid at her, and once she'd put enough distance between herself and the monster, she turned on her heel and poked out her tongue. Ann couldn't help but laugh as she exchanged a grin with Shiho. Despite the world going to hell in a handbasket, this was the most energized she'd felt in months.

With an ear-piercing shriek, the monster started to charge their way, and Ann grabbed the chain from her chest, praying that Kurusu would manage to distract it for a second or two – this wouldn't work if it was facing her.

"Rukia, use that spell on my sword!" Kurusu yelled as he sprinted their way.

The monster's body blocked Ann's view of Kuchiki, but it was apparent what she had done when Kurusu leapt at the monster, his sword glowing a hot red. With a yell, he sliced into the beast's back. It let out a horrifying cry, instantly swiping at Kurusu with its claws, and Ann saw her chance. Powering through the lethargy plaguing her, she scrambled onto the beast's back. With its renewed assault on Kurusu, it completely ignored Ann, up until the point where she wrapped the chain hanging from her chest around its neck, and pulled tight.

The beast's head snapped backwards as she throttled it, and it let out a strangled gasp. Desperately, it scratched at its neck, but its pointed claws bounced off the chain harmlessly.

Kurusu didn't hesitate. With a yell, he thrust his still-glowing sword forward, right through the bottom of the monster's jaw and out the other side. Ann shuddered as warm blood splashed onto her uniform, before letting out a yelp as the creature suddenly disintegrated underneath her. She would have landed on the ground in a heap if Shiho hadn't darted in to catch her. While Kurusu's descent to the ground was far more graceful, the second he landed, he tumbled backwards, panting. Kuchiki sighed in relief, her shoulders slumping. Ryuji, meanwhile, whipped his head between Kurusu and the spot where the monster had once been standing.

"Did he kill it?" He asked, and Ann blinked in confusion.

As Kuchiki answered Ryuji's question, Kurusu – who'd managed to get back up on his feet – must have seen her expression. "Ryuji can't see spirits." He explained. "The only one of us he can see right now is Rukia."

That… vaguely answered Ann's question, but also opened up so many cans of worms she barely knew where to begin. Almost on cue, the others walked towards them, Kuchiki giving Kurusu a terse nod. "That was a clever idea, using my Kidō to heat your blade."

"Thanks." He smirked.

Kuchiki then whirled around, her furious glare pinning Ann to the spot. "You, on the other hand…! Out of all the stupid, reckless things I have ever seen in my life, that was easily in the top five! Do you know what would have happened if that chain broke?!"

"Uh…" Ann's jaw dropped. "Something bad, I guess?"

"You would have died! Or worse!" Kuchiki snapped, a long-suffering expression on her face.

Kurusu, who clearly had no fear of short angry women – a brave man indeed – tapped her on the shoulder. "Come on. I think they're due for an explanation."

…..

As Kuchiki slowly knitted Ann's body back together, occasionally explaining to a fidgety Ryuji what was going on, Ann's brows higher and higher as Kurusu told his story. It was the wildest thing she'd ever heard, yet in light of what had happened (and was currently still happening), she had no choice but to believe him.

"… I must admit, I never would have pegged you for a ghost knight." Shiho mused.

A grin crossed Kurusu's face. It was a good look on him – far better than the usual blank stare he wore during class. "I'm a man of many talents."

"Or Kuchiki being like, three-thousand years old…" Ann mused, twirling her hair. Or her ghost-hair, really – she was still in her soul form. What a bizarre situation indeed.

While Kuchiki's back was to Ann, the roll of her eyes was almost audible. "I'm approximately one hundred and fifty, thank you very much."

"Damn, that's ancient!" Ryuji whistled, earning himself a bonk on the head.

The green light surrounding Kuchiki's hands faded, and as she stepped away from Ann's body, she saw the deep claw marks scouring her skin had faded. "There, as good as new."

An idea flashed through Ann's mind, followed by a desperate bolt of hope. "D-Do you think you could use your magic to bring back –"

Kuchiki didn't even let her finish her sentence. "Once the chain of fate is severed, there is no reviving someone. I'm sorry."

Oh. Ann sagged, barely biting back her tears as the realisation that this was truly the end hit her like a clap of lightning. They'd barely been reunited, and yet Shiho was going to be torn away from her, again. It wasn't fair! Ann managed to smother the storm of hurt whirling around inside her, however – she knew if Shiho stayed and got eaten by a Hollow, she would never forgive herself. For her friend's sake, she needed to let go. The two girls, one half-living, one dead, met eachother's eyes, a thousand unspoken words racing through their minds. As Ann memorised every inch of her best friend's face, a horrible sob ran through her body, and she could no longer contain her tears.

"Shiho… why?" Ann wailed, as she hugged her best friend.

"I… I'm so sorry, Ann." Shiho's hands wrapped around her waist. "It was just – I couldn't take it anymore! My head just felt so crowded, and, and I…!" With a sob, Shiho broke off and buried her head in Ann's shoulder.

Ann couldn't have stopped crying even if she wanted to. For an eternity, they stood there, linked together as if they simply held on tightly enough, they could stop the parting that was to come. All tears, however, would eventually run dry, and Ann felt herself unravelling as hers turned from a flood an into a trickle.

"I'm so sorry, Shiho. I should have been better."

"No, Ann – no." Shiho pulled back and stared her dead in the eyes. "This wasn't your fault. This was never your fault." She looked away, the pain welling up in her eyes breaking Ann's heart, as a choked whisper escaped Shiho's throat. "K-Kamoshida… Kamoshida, he…"

Shiho whispered in her ear, and as her words sunk in, a hurricane of fury and grief and burning incandescent rage roared through Ann's body. "Kamoshida did what?!"

She knew he'd been the one to metaphorically push Shiho over the edge. Ann had just assumed it was the violence, however. She hadn't realised – he was so busy flirting with her, she didn't realise –

Kuchiki and Kurusu sharply inhaled, immediately connecting the dots. Kuchiki whispered something into Ryuji's ear, and his eyes shot wide open as he bristled.

"That fucking piece of swine!" Ryuji roared, the anger in his voice almost as potent as Ann's own fury. "I'm sorry, Shiho." He turned approximately in her direction. "I dunno how we'll do it, but I promise we'll stop him – we won't let him hurt anyone else!"

A brittle smile crossed Shiho's face. "Thank you, Ryuji."

As everyone realised the time had finally arrived, a deep misery hung over the clearing. Kuchiki's face was solemn as she approached Kurusu.

"We've delayed long enough. Is everyone ready to say their farewells?"

No. Ann would never be ready for this. Despite the way she trembled like a soaked dog, however, she nodded.

Ryuji took in a deep breath. "I know I can't really see you, or hear you, but… fuck. I'll miss you, yeah? I hope Soul Society treats you better than this place."

"I'll miss you too." Shiho half-rested, half-sunk a hand into Ryuji's shoulder, and judging by the shudder that ran down his spine, he must have felt something at the very least.

Ann realised it was now her turn, and despite her desperate urge to run to Shiho's side and never let go, she found herself rooted to the spot. In the end, it was Shiho who ended up going to her. As they embraced one final time, Ann's eyes watered. And here she was thinking she was all cried out.

"Here." As their hug came to an end, Shiho pulled the vibrant elastic band from her hair and slid it onto Ann's wrist. As her long black hair tumbled around her shoulders, Shiho looked ethereal. "A reminder that I'll always love you, even if I'm not there."

By now, Ann was full-on bawling, again. "I – I love you too, Shiho. I'll always, always, love you."

Shiho's hair tie burning like fire on her wrist, Ann stepped backward, wiping her eyes as Kurusu approached her friend, sword unsheathed.

For a moment, he paused, something conflicted shining in his eyes. "Suzui-san. I… I admit we only spoke once, but you seemed kind. I'm sorry I won't be able to get to know you better."

"I'm sorry too, Kurusu-kun." Shiho's smile was wan. "Please keep an eye on Ann and Ryuji for me?"

He gave her a salute. "Will do. Farewell, Suzui-san."

With that, he raised the hilt of his blade and tapped it against Shiho's forehead. As a soft light enveloped the girl and Shiho faded away, she never stopped smiling at Ann.