Bleach: The Alternate Tale

by blackout2010

We all know that Ichigo Kurosaki was a human who became a Shinigami, but what would happen if he was always a Shinigami when the events of bleach happened, perhaps an altered story. Very minor crossover with Sakura Wars. A/U A/T. Contains incest in later parts.

50. Jail Bird Blues: Stool Pidgeon

Blackout2010: Okay, so for the purpose of last chapter, this chapter, next chapter and chapter after: I would ask you to reserve final judgments until all the information is presented. But whatever your presuppositions or initial points of view are: please comment it in the prior chapter. Let's see if your viewpoints change. Not sitting here saying they are right or wrong, just merely a 'what did you initially think' vs 'what you think now'. It's always important to understand why you hold certain values as they are and if you should change, refine or keep them.

Blackout2010: Also one more thing. I don't really know if I convey it well here, so I'll state it plainly. When it comes to the '(present)' anything Senna says is in relation to her current situation, IE, a little unreliable. However, anything that happens in the '(past)' is true and what genuinely happened. Hopefully, you'll see what I mean when you get there. Also sorry for the delay: I said it'd be a few days, but life had other plans. Still working on the final chapter.

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Ch. 49 Jail Bird Blues: Stool Pidgeon

Tick, tick, tick, tick…

The dull rhythmic ticking of the metronome on the black wooden table was the only sound that permeated throughout the stuffy interrogation room Senna had been placed in by Shaolin. Looking up from her restrained wrists that she'd been staring at since forever ago, her eyes drifted across the dimly lit room over to the one-way mirror. Her haggard scared reflection stared back at her, almost asking the same question everyone else on the otherwise od the mirror asked: Why?

Lowering her head back down, she knew the answer burning in her heart. But she didn't know if they'd understand. 'Or…' she considered quietly, ominously, maybe she didn't understand.

As the metal door to her prison opened with warbling screech, she snapped her attention up, half expecting some burly interrogator to step-in or self-important official in a suit to rattle off a list of her crimes, or, more remotely, Cirucci to be shoved into the room with her, after their initial separation on arrival.

Instead of any of those possibility, she saw Shaolin walking in wearing the same clothes she'd seen her in earlier. The girl swallowed the lump in her throat when she saw the sternness on her face; the harsh side of Shaolin that she hadn't seen since the women first met last summer.

The understandable fear of her anger fell away once the ex-captain looked at her. The silent smoldering frustration that had been likely nagging at her mere moments before walking in here morphed into somber pity, as she stared at her from the doorway. And all at once, the fear Senna felt was overshadowed by heavy guilty; the guilt that she'd hurt the people she loved most.

'Just like dad-'

"Senna." Soifon called out, snapping Senna back to reality, as her eyes glazed over.

"Y-yes?" she spoke up, voice low from disuse.

Stepping forward, the short woman closed the door behind her, before making her way to the table. Stopping beside her chair, the dark-haired woman stopped the swinging metronome, a classic interrogation device, and reached behind her back.

As Senna's eyes saw the tape recorder, she gulped. "Yes," Soifon said, placing the device on the table, "I will be interrogating you."

"Okay…" she answered automatically, eyes still lingering on the device.

Sighing, Shaolin took a seat in the chair as she brought her hands together to rest in front of her, "Before we begin," she mouthed to the girl softly, "Are you okay Senna? No one tried to hurt you while I was gone, right?"

Breath hitching, the girl looked up at Shaolin with renewed life. But, before she could answer, Soifon swiftly held a hand up, "Don't." she said sharply, eyes narrowing, "Don't think for a second that I'm okay with what you did. As a matter of fact, do you even realize what you did? Were you even thinking!?"

"N-no, I mean, yes, but-"

"Do you know where Ichigo is right now!?" she asked rhetorically, well aware that the girl trapped in this room didn't have the damnedest clue. "He's getting Cirucci transferred out of a torture chamber and over to the 4th division for treatment. A torture chamber you were spared because of your injuries!"

Senna's eyes widened, terrified by the words she spoke, but frightened more by the angry tone in her voice, a tone she'd never taken with her before. "Do you know how lucky you are that I'm the leader of the Punishment Force?" she hissed in a deadly whisper "Anyone -anyone- else would have had you crucified on the spot." Turning away, she off handedly gestured to the window behind her, "I had to fight just to retain the right to interrogate you. I was almost taken off because I'm one of your hosts."

"I…I…" Senna started shake, as her breathing became more erratic.

Shaolin slammed her fist against the table, "You what!?" she shrieked, shooting up from her chair to yell into her face. "You thought about all the Shinigami and Hollow lives you endangered? Is that it!? What were you thinking!? Huh!?"

"No, no, not like that!" Senna cried out, tears streaming down her eyes.

Caught off guard, Shaolin leaned back, her surprise at the girl's outburst momentarily overriding her anger. "Please…" the girl sniffled, as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes with a shaky hand, "Don't be mad…(sniff) please…don't…" she lowered her head uncontrollably, 'Don't hate me…'

Seeing the young girl bawling her eyes out, Shaolin looked away jaw clenched tight. 'I over did it.' She thought to herself, glancing at the one-way mirror behind her. While she was certainly mad and did let some of it show in order to both blow off steam and solidify the performance that she wasn't pulling her punches, she didn't expect to have hurt her that badly. It was supposed to just be a simple emotional manipulation technique on her part. Isolate Senna, scare her, coax the information, and turn over the condemning information.

At least that was the plan pitched by her. In truth, she wanted to see what she could do to her help. Still, she was the one in charge of her approach. If it didn't go the way she wanted, it was on her and it certainly hadn't it. She didn't want to make her cry and she wasn't supposed to wish she could take back the words she said, honest feelings or no.

But it was either she do it…or Soul Society would find someone who would.

Raising a hand up, she made a hand sign to the window, before pushing herself out of the chair. "No, please!" begged Senna, reaching across the table to grab hold of Shaolin's hand to stop her from leaving…from abandoning her.

"Senna…" the woman called out to her in the warm gentle tone she knew. Lifting her head up, the girl saw a counseling look, the barest fragment of reassurance, before the creaking of the door got her attention. Standing in the doorway covered head to toe in black Special Forces gear was a man holding a box of tissues.

Quietly putting two and two together, the young culprit pulled her hands back with a sniffle, unable and unwilling to resist the bashful smile on her cheeks. A smile born from the faint hope that she wasn't abandoned.

Grabbing the paper box, Soifon dismissed the guard, before returning to the girl. 'Is this the difference between our worlds?' she thought to herself as she saw the girl dry her tears, an aura of calmness emanating from her. 'Is this what led you to do what you did?'

"Okay." The woman spoke, breaking the silence, "I need you to help me understand." Reaching for the tape recorder, she thumbed the start button, "Senna, please tell me your story, so I can try to do something."

Nodding her head obediently, the quiet girl watched her friend's smile melt away into a solemn neutral frown as she pressed record, "State your name for the record."

"Senna Takamiko." She gave the same pseudonym of her late father.

"Current rank."

"Acting interim lieutenant of squad two serving under captain Yoruichi Shihoin."

"You stand accused of a wide variety of crimes." The interrogator said flatly, giving the barest of glances at the unreadable one-way window. "I don't think I need to go over them, nor the severity of the situation you find yourself in."

The sweating girl gulped but tried to stay strong. She knew she was right.

…she had to believe it.

"Tell me from the beginning: how did this happen?"

Glancing at the table, Senna steadied her breath, as she organized her thoughts. "Well…it started the night we got the news…"

(Past: chapter 47)

"In a manner of speaking." Yamamoto answered Ichigo's question in a disinterested tone. Breaking eye contact, the aged captain took one hand off his cane and waved it forward, "We were looking for Sanderwhicc-san."

Senna's eyes darted to the hollow beside her, a confused look on her face, "Me?" she said dumbfoundedly.

'Why? They aren't gonna get mad at us, are they? We didn't even leave Seireitei!' Senna thought incredulously.

Turning her gaze back to the group in front of them, she saw a familiar looking woman with green hair stepping towards the Sotaichō's side. 'Isn't that…Nozomi or something?'

Unraveling a scroll from her hand, she read its content, "By unanimous decision of the Central-46, the Arrancar experiment is to cease and all Arrancar of lieutenant level or above are to be executed-"

"The hell!? What do you mean executed!?" Shouted Ichigo, his surprise mirrored in their group.

The Kido Commander gave a brief annoyed sigh, as she looked up the scroll, jaded indifference written across her face, "Like I said, the Central-46 has weighed in on the matter and cast their judgment."

"Screw that!" Senna shouted without hesitation, unwilling to let them get away with unilaterally murdering her friend. "There's no way they reached that conclusion in a day!"

The green haired woman sighed again, exasperated, "Don't shoot the messenger."

"I assure you; Kujo-san speaks the truth." Yamamoto barely attempted to mediate, still speaking in the same disaffected tone, "Cirucci is to be taken into custody. If you have objection there will be a meeting set in a week for a hearing of your grievances."

'Grievances!?' Senna's eyes widened in disbelief as a spark of anger surged through her. Didn't he realize he was talking about another person, not some inanimate unthinking object.

"Tell me Yamamoto-Sotaichō," asked the blonde scientist, as he crossed his arms skeptically, "is this meeting a formality?"

'Formality…?' the girl looked to the mirthless scientist shooting a hard-piercing glare at the group. As the weight of his words sank in, she nearly gasped as she came to the cruel conclusion, he all but said, 'It's rigged. It was rigged from the start.'

"I am not one for frivolities, Urahara-Taichō." The bald man said flatly, a further damning non-answer.

Senna's frown deepened at the perceived non-answer, was it so hard to say a definitive 'yes' or 'no'? 'So, it's true, then? Then everything we said…that we told them we had to deal with during the experiment period…all the harassment…all the incidents…it was meaningless? It didn't matter?'

"I trust you'll be there?" the Sotaichō asked rhetorically.

'So, all this time…they were just waiting for an excuse to get rid of them…'

Kisuke pulled his hat down over his eyes, a cowed resignation, 'Because…they're afraid. Afraid of people who are different from them…for something they can't change.'

Seeing a few Shinigami from the opposing group step closer, the young woman cast her fearful gaze to the one person she could always rely on, "Ichigo…" she begged, urging him to do something.

To her disheartenment, she saw the man's jawline clench tighter and his eyes narrow, searching, just like she was, for some way to stop this madness, the promised answer that she hoped he had nowhere to be seen. "Cirucci…" she heard him mutter in a desperate tone.

After a moment's pause, the twin tailed Fraccion in white turned to her master, "Si?" she said softly, eyes still on her captors.

The man's eyes broke from the Shinigami and to her, "Do you trust us?"

"I do." The Arrancar said unflinchingly, surprising Senna at her sheer faith in them.

As her eyes turned back to her brother, she watched him take a deep breath, before stepping away from the group, "That's enough. There's no need for force." He announced in a cool commanding tone. As the Shinigami stopped to listen, Ichigo turned his attention to the Sotaichō, "If we need to prove our case, we'll do so."

"Wonderful," started the green haired woman, a sickening smile of approval on her face, "Gla-"

"But I'll take her to the penance tower." Ichigo interrupted, causing a faint twinge of a smile to from on Senna's face, "and I'll be the one to take her out when we win."

'Ichigo-kun…'

As Nozomi's frown returned, Senna saw Shaolin step closer to Ichigo, "Are you sure about this Ichigo?" Senna overheard, the worried tone the only indication that she wasn't as disaffected as her stony expression suggested.

"No, but we don't have a choice." He admitted causing Senna's heart to sink, "Starting a fight is gonna make things worse."

"And Cirucci?" Senna couldn't help but ask, genuinely worried about this situation.

"I'll make sure she's safe…" he tried to reassure, though she could tell it rang hollow given their general powerlessness. "We have to meet them on their terms."

'Even when you know it's rigged? That they aren't interested in even hearing what's already been said?' the girl thought to herself, looking down towards the ground, 'Is that justice? How is that justice!? It's not even fair!'

"If there isn't anything else, I'll be taking her now." Barked Ichigo.

For a moment there was silence from the other side. Just when Ichigo was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Nozomi stepped forward, pulling out a pair of hand cuffs. "On one condition: That the Sotaichō and I accompany you."

"Given your 'relationship' with the Hollow in question, I felt it a necessary precaution." Yamamoto informed them, earning a testy snarl from Ichigo.

'We give up and they don't even trust us to listen to them!? After everything we…after everything Ichigo's done!?' Looking back at her brother, who was clearly trying not to say or do anything to make the situation worse, she felt her body shake indignantly.

"Fine…" he spat coldly, before turning to their friend, "Cirucci. Let's go."

For the briefest of seconds, Senna saw Cirucci's eyes flicker from her master to her captors and her quiet obliging expression changed for just a second into pure unadulterated contempt and disgust for the proceedings, before nodding obediently.

"Cirucci…" Senna whimpered pained, as the two opposers walked over to the unresisting woman. As the click of the meaningless cuffs reached the Vizard's ear, she flinched. 'Did we make the wrong choice?' she asked herself, heart sinking by the minute.

Was this the future that they had chosen when they chose to fight to save Soul Society, for humanity? When they chose to stand against Aizen and his ambitions for Godhood?

…had all those sacrifices leading up to this…all been for nothing?

Picturing her father dying in front of her, flesh evaporating in the light of her seal, to eyeless skull to nothing at all remaining, she nearly gasped when the person in her head became Cirucci, dying, as Isshin did, because of her actions. The blood once again on her hands.

She had done this.

'I have to do something!'

Breaking from her stupor, the wounded girl reached for the Arrancar, wrapping her arms around her friend that she'd grown to know and care for in these last few months.

Startled by the sudden embrace, the Arrancar quickly realized who it was and tried to return the gesture as best as she could, resting her chin against the other girl's shoulder, as the other watched on silently. "I'm going to save you." Senna whispered into the other girl's ear, squeezing her just a little tighter, a little more to reassure her, "I promise."

"I believe you, Senna-sama." She replied back in the same warm tone they had all held mere hours ago. "I will wait. For Master Ichigo, Lady Soifon, and you. Te esperaré, Senna."

Pulling away, the girl nodded, signaling to the others that they were done. As Senna watched the group head to the penance tower, the Shinigami blocking the way slowly dispersed.

'Cirucci…' Glancing back, she saw the others clustered together, most likely discussing the current state of affairs. Turning her attention back to the other group of Shinigami walking away, she saw them also chatting amongst themselves, irritably more amicably than their somber party. As she stared at them watching them move further and further away, her eyes caught sight of one of the men in the back looking over his shoulder at them. Eyes locking for what could have only been a split second, a disbelieving gasp escaped Senna's lips, when the man sneered at her, hate-filled glare staring right through her.

Breaking contact, the shaken vizard turned away to the division, her 'home'. Clutching the front of her white kimono, she felt herself tearing up, frustration silently boiling over, "Why?" she whispered, 'Why is this happening? What did we do to deserve this?'

Slowly, before she knew it, she was stepping away from her group in a controlled daze, aware of her surroundings yet not quite in control. She was stepping closer and closer towards her division, head shaking faster with each step she took.

(Present)

"I see." Soifon interrupted, raising a hand to her lip pensively, processing the information thus far. 'So, she is admitting that the night Cirucci was taken was a catalyst.' Turning her eyes to where her right hand rested, she saw the recording device silently doing its job. 'Damn.' She cursed, eyes narrowing at the device, as Senna all but tightened the noose around her neck. Tapping her finger to stimulate her thoughts faster, Shaolin gestured to the culprit. "I do remember you having disappeared once I finished talking with the others."

She then tilted her head to the right slightly and nudged the recording device next to her slightly, "I trust you haven't left anything out yet or tried to distort anything."

"Ooh…N-no." Senna replied having calmed down enough to catch her subtle hint. While Shaolin might try to softball things with her by giving directive questions, it was Senna that provided the devilish details. 'I have to be careful with what I say.' She reminded herself.

Shaolin watched as the girl closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. When she was ready, Soifon lobbed her next question, "Where did you go next?"

"I went to my room."

Soifon smirked at that, glad that she was framing her answers better. "I know. I'm quite glad to see your testimony is consistent with the events as I recall them." Leaning forwards, the Chinese operative slipped back into inquisitor mode, "But there's still plenty of gaps to be filled lieutenant. You will tell us everything."

The girl only gave a reserved nod.

(Past: Soifon)

"There isn't much we can do at the moment." Unohana stated quietly, "I suggest that we turn in and approach things with a clear head in the morning."

"I agree Unohana-san. Given the course of events, I presume a meeting will be called in tomorrow." Said Kisuke, "Let's proceed about things normally till then,"

With a collective agreement, Kisuke and Retsu re-boarded Minazuki and took off in the air, leaving the two onlookers to themselves.

As a heavy sigh rolled out of Soifon, Yoruichi glanced at the diminutive woman staring listlessly in the direction her husband had gone down. Putting the best smile, she could, the brown woman gave a playful hip check. "Hey. No need for such a long face."

Tearing her eyes away, the ex-captain regarded her mentor, before looking back and nodding solemnly, "I suppose you're right, Yoruichi-san."

Mentally sighing at seeing her worrywart protégé was still hung-up on the issue, the ebon goddess stepped around in front of her, forcing her to look at her and not the problems in front of them, "Buzz, buzz, buzz little bee. If you don't calm down, how are you going to rest up for the meeting tomorrow?" As the girl slumped her shoulders, the cat girl placed her hands on them, "I understand you're worried. I don't blame you. So how about in the morning you come see me and we can discuss our options in private." Her smile widened, "I'm sure the two of us can think of something!"

Letting her words sink in, the pensive woman let out a breath she didn't know she held. Nodding her head again, this time much more appreciative, Shaolin smiled tentatively, "I'd like that."

"Then it's a date." Smirking, the captain tapped her knuckle against her shoulder, "I'm gonna hold you to it, so if you stand me up…"

"Got it."

"Great. Let's call it a night and-" the woman fell silent, as she started looking around. Turning around the pregnant woman looked to see what was wrong, all that greeted her was an empty corridor and their dark silent division, 'Nothing out of the ordinary at this time of night.'

'Wait. Where's Senna-chan? Wasn't she right there a second ago?' Suzumebachi pointed out.

"She's gone." Shaolin mumbled.

"I guess she went on ahead of us." Yoruichi surmised, as well.

"…" Turning around, the woman in red glanced at her mentor and then back at the barracks quietly.

"You want me to make sure she got to her room?"

"No, I'll go." She declined, since she was more likely to open up to her given their more intimate relations, "But I'd appreciate if you'd have Ichigo-kun come to my room. Perhaps, he might have heard something we can use."

"No problem, little bee."

Bidding farewell, the two ladies went their separate ways, one to the penance tower, the other to the silent second.

Traversing the dim corridors of her division, the woman in black silently navigated her way to the officer's wing. Coming to the corridor that held the office she had once resided in for five decades, she had to stop herself from lingering on past thoughts, of how she used to work hard to reclaim the pride she had thought to have been desecrated by her predecessor, the honor of Soul Society she defended. 'Was this what it all lead to?'

Crinkling her nose, she shook her head, she had to refocus on the present. Exhaling softly, she resumed her journey, slowly counting the insignia beside the doors, lingering a moment's longer on the door that led to the third seat, the adjunct fukutaichō's office. 'First Subaru, now Cirucci…'

"Perhaps our third seats are cursed with bad luck." She pondered darkly, turning away to move on to her destination. Reaching for the knob, Shaolin was about to turn it, before stopping herself and considering Senna condition, part of her hoped it was fatigue that made her leave, but she had a feeling it was due to how she felt on the inside.

Lifting her hand higher, she gently tapped her knuckle against the wooden frame, "Senna? Are you still awake?"

After a pregnant pause, the woman got a response, "yeah…"

Wincing at the girl's subdued tone, the ex-captain tried to coax her, "May I come in?"

…

Silence…

"…I'm tired…" the girl answered in hollow lies, "and my stomach hurts."

Furrowing her brow, Shaolin moved closer to the door, "Sen-"

"I'm going to bed. Let Ichi-kun know I'm not going to Unohana's."

"Senna!" shouted Shaolin, as she reached for the handle for the handle and started turning furiously to no avail, "Open this door! Senna!"

After fiddling with the door a few more times in dark silence, Shaolin let out a discouraging sigh, before letting her hand fall from the knob. Closing her eyes, she considered the words to say to at least reach the girl just across the 3-inch chasm that separated them. "Senna…" she called out in a calmer tone. When she didn't get an acknowledging reply, she sighed again, "I'll let him know." Placing her hand against the door, it gently creaked under her touch. "I hope you feel better in the morning. Sweet dreams."

Making her peace on the situation for the moment, Shaolin pulled away from the door. Turning around to begin her solitary journey to her room, where, if she was lucky, Ichigo would be there to at least go over the situation a little bit with her and maybe give some good news.

"Shaolin!" Senna shouted from behind the closed door, startling the other woman.

Taking a second to calm back down, the pregnant woman turned back to the door, "Yes, Senna?"

"Thanks." The girl replied, a vision of her meek apologetic smile appearing in the captain's mind.

"No problem." She replied a little more relieved, while she could tell there was definitely more to things on Senna's end, she'd take this as the first step. It was just a knee jerk reaction, she told herself.

(Present)

"That was how I recall events of that night's ending." Shaolin stated quietly, shifting her gaze to her lover, "Obviously, if that was the end of things, we wouldn't be here now."

Senna remained silent in the face of the accusation, instead she shrugged indifferently.

Knowing that people were possibly looking through the interrogation mirror, Shaolin slammed her fist against the table, "I didn't ask for flippancy!" she shouted with faux outrage, "Now tell me what really happened."

(Past: Senna)

By the time Senna had reached her room, she was mentally spent. She was propped up against her door lost in thought. While a part of her wanted to simply crawl in to bed and sleep things off, the other half of her said it was too far and she should just curl up against the door.

"What do I do?" she said vacantly, hoping for some kind of clue, but every time she closed her eyes, all she saw was her grim-faced brother taking away Cirucci. "Ugh…" her stomach twisted at the image.

'We'll save her!' Ichigo's words rang in her ear.

'How?'

A small knock on her door nearly made Senna scream bloody murder as she was pulled from her thoughts. "Senna?"

'Shaolin-senpai…' the girl recognized the speaker, her voice only further solidifying the reality of the situation, that this wasn't just a nightmare she could just wake up from. That she'd find her eyes shooting open and looking around in confusion from her bed in the early morning hours.

"Are you awake?"

'Lady Shaolin sounds worried.'

Senna winced remembering that she had just disappeared on them without a word. 'Just like…' The image of her father burning away into nothing, fading into the bright light of her seal, flickered across her mind. 'Gahh.' Swiftly shaking her head of the thought, she answered back dully, "…yeah."

It was just bad thoughts. They were going to save them. The Arrancars, Cirucci were going to be okay. They weren't going to die…she wasn't going to see someone she cared about died in front of her again. She…wasn't going to watch helplessly. She was going to do something….

…anything…

"Can I come in?"

"…"

'We're going to save her.' Ichigo's voice repeated.

'Save her.'

'We're going to save her.'

'Save her…' Senna repeated with strange fixation, 'Why does that seem familiar?'

Concentrating harder on the phrase, she thought back on it and slowly her eyes lit up, as she recalled the distant penance tower, but this time instead of hybrid Hollows, she saw a petite dark-haired woman sitting listlessly, gazing out of the only window. 'Rukia…we broke her out.'

Swallowing the lump in her throat, the teenager felt her body start to shake at the revelation that just occurred to her.

C-could she? If she really dared…could she, do it? No, what was she thinking, of course she could, but should she? Should and could…

The woman's eyes narrowed, as she recalled the sneering Shinigami from before… 'Could I…?' closing her eyes, she tried to ease her conscience, 'Just…a backup plan. Just in case.'

"I'm tired." The words spilled out in a forced monotone. Feeling a wave of nausea begin to come over her what she was about to do, she clicked the lock to her door, a temporary yet necessary barrier. "and my stomach hurts."

"Sen-"

'Save her.' 'Do anything.' The phrases pounded in her head.

"I'm going to bed." She interrupted sharply, her prior fatigued momentarily forgotten with this renewed sense of purpose. "Let Ichi-kun know."

'Plan…yes, I need to plan things out.'

"Senna! Open this door, Senna!" Shaolin shouted as she jiggled the door handle in vain.

Closing her eyes tightly, Senna held her breath and covered her ears, trying to shut the woman out. Once the handle stopped twisting, Senna sank down to the floor, a wave of guilty relief washing over her. She felt bad for making her senpai worry over her, but she needed a private place to think rationally. Letting her in would just get her more worked up than she already was, distract her mind further. She was sure she'd understand, and, if nothing else, she'd apologize to her later, it was just, now was a bad time…

'I gotta stay focused…' she reminded herself, uncapping her ears.

"Senna." Shaolin called out, breaking the ensuing silence. While Senna had been surprised that she hadn't given up and left on her own, she was more surprised by her defeated sounding tone, it still clung desperately to reaching to her, but accepting of inevitability. "I'll let him know." A sigh escaped the woman's lips, sending a shiver down the Vizard's spine. "Good night, Senna-chan."

Senna's uneasy frown deepened. This is what she wanted, but…

'Are you really okay with this milady?'

The girl shook her head, a divergent thought of clarity hitting her. Wasn't this subjecting Shaolin to the same experience she was feeling? Watching someone disappear right in front of her without so much as a proper goodbye, someone she cared about? 'No, no.' She was trying to help her loved ones, not hurt them!

'Not again!'

"Shaolin!" she called out desperately…

…

…

'Then will you stop here?' Mirokumaru asked pointedly,

"Yes, Senna?"

"…" she paused, before replying, 'No. I just need to do it the right way.' Trying her best to form a smile, she tapped her forehead against the wood, "Thanks for checking up."

A pause. Soon the door let out a low dull thud, as Shaolin's fingertips pressed against the door. "No problem."

Wincing uncomfortably, Senna remained silent. Not trusting her mouth to speak, lest it betray her. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she heard Shaolin's footsteps begin to patter off from the hall.

'She's gone.' Mirokumaru informed her master.

Giving an acknowledging nod to her partner, Senna pushed herself off her bedroom floor, a timid but determined resolve burning in her heart. "It's just like rescuing Rukia." She told herself, 'It's doing the right thing.'

Materializing before Senna, the soft-spoken spirit leaned against her staff, floating gently in the air, 'So what is our first step?' she inquired of the girl, 'The act of liberation is a distant fourth or fifth step in regard to an escape plan.'

'Well…' Glancing away, she tried to recall the memories of earlier that year. Closing her eyes to solidify her concentration, the young woman saw brief but vivid images amidst the hodgepodge of information. Kukaku's eccentric looking house with her launch tower in the back, the old rustic town of Rukongai, Jidanbo blocking the way to his gate, the enormous labyrinth that was the Seireitei, the hidden hot-springs in the cavern near Squad two, and the penance tower looming opposite of Sokyoku hill.

Opening her eyes, the girl shared her breakthrough, "We need a route. A way to get in and exit to escape out."

Pleased to see that her ladyship realized the first hurdle to the plan, Mirokumaru prodded her on, 'Correct. Without the knowledge of the means, there can be no means to act. However, there is more to it. We must take them without being seen; otherwise, it all for naught. So: How do we accomplish this, when even now you still sometimes rely on a map?'

"Well, I was thinking since it's just me doing it for now, I should try to plan around going it alone."

'Go on.'

"So instead of breaking them out and trying to make a run for it. I was thinking maybe I can wait it out and sneak one or two out overtime. It'd look less suspicious, you know."

'But to do that you must have a place to hide the…' the spirit paused mid-criticism, silently reading the young lady's body language. A sly smile appeared on the priestess's lips, 'You have something in mind.'

Found out, the girl smiled softly, before walking over to her dresser. Wafting behind her, the spirit watched the girl pick up old cell phone, a virtually useless item in this world, but priceless antique of her old life. Pulling it off the charger cable, she tapped in a password on the screen and flicked a few icons, "The underground hot spring." She answered quietly, as her soul pager beside her connected to her phone and brought up her virtual map of Seireitei that she navigated with.

Touching the area mentioned, she looked back at the spirit, "No one would think to go there to look for them, because nobody knows about it and the Seki Seki rock will keep them from being sensed by other soul reapers."

'An excellent choice. Not only will they be safe, but given the short distance, we can feed and check in on them regularly.'

'Right. Time will be on my side.' Here though, her exuberance stifled a bit with uncertainty. 'But I don't really know how to get them out from there.'

Bringing a hand to her mouth, Mirokumaru pondered the problem quietly. After humming to herself, she regarded her mistress, 'I believe I have a solution.'

Watching her float backwards, the spirit came to a halt beside Senna's bed. Removing her hand from the golden Shakujo, she gestured to a hamper sitting on her left.

Curious as to what she implied, the girl walked over and looked down into the purple cylinder filled with dirty clothes. 'My laundry?'

Glancing back up at the spirit quizzically, the Miko merely replied, 'Does seeing your uniform give you any ideas?'

Turning back to the clothes again, she stared at the sea of black for a minute more, before the implication finally set in. 'I should dress them like Shinigami!'

The priestess nodded in agreement, 'That would be a key first step.'

…

'F-first step?' the girl sweat dropped.

The spirit let out an exasperated sigh, 'You must conceal their identity, Senna-sama. You must cover their faces, especially Cirucci's.'

Seeing the concern pointed out to her, Senna frowned, 'Oh, that's right. But I don't have any masks or anything to cover them up.'

'yes, YOU don't.'

'…' realizing what she was all but saying, Senna sighed, 'I think I know what you're telling me I have to do.'

The Onimitsukido uniform. Similar to the Shinigami uniform, but with more concealing accessories, namely the face masks and bandanas. Given where she resided getting to them was easy, but the hard part was getting them from someone. Having trained under Shaolin during her summer stay, she was loaned out a uniform from the quarter master, and, given her extended stay, she knew exactly where the items in question were housed.

But the problem was it was under strict surveillance. There was no way to get her hands on them without word of it ever reaching back to Shaolin, which meant she'd have steal some from possibly Shaolin and Ichigo's room, a notion she really wasn't keen on.

Seeing the skittish look on the girl's face, the priestess tried to break the situation gently to her. 'There is no easier alternative than this milady.' She said solemnly, empathetic to her plight of loyalty. 'If it makes it easier, just consider it a necessary evil to achieve the goal at hand.'

'…right.' Kurosaki replied halfheartedly, clearly troubled by what she'd have to do. 'But…' she locked eyes with her partner, 'Let's keep it to a minimum.'

'I understand,' the spirit said with a frown, the fabled but, clearly on her tongue. 'but the next problem also requires discourteous means.'

The girl sighed, 'go on…'

'We will need knowledge of the Onimitsukido. Where they will be stationed. Without it-'

"We might run into them…" she finished. When the spirit concurred, the girl sighed again, "I was hoping to use the map of the sewer system on my soul pager to get them to the hot springs." Another heavy sigh, as her mind started to reel in more and more complications, more what ifs. Cradling her head in her hands, she let out a frustrated groan, 'I'm doing this the wrong way…'

This was all hypothetical, a huge maybe, a what if, that might not even be necessary. At least…that's what she told herself. But feeling the searing gaze from that Shinigami, the dark whispers whenever they came by…

Pulling her hands away, she trudged over to the bed and sat down. "Mirokumaru…"

'Yes, milady?'

"Let me…" she paused, as she looked down at her hands pathetically, more lost than ever. "Let me think about it."

'Of course, milady.' The spirit acquiesced, slowly fading away. 'Good night.'

Once the spirit was gone, the girl turned to her window, the city skyline still darkened, 'Good night.' She thought to herself, eyes darkening, 'I just want to pretend it's a bad dream.'

(Present)

"So," Shaolin interrupted her story thus far, continuing her role in all of this, "You maintain that you had thoughts on the matter, but otherwise didn't act on them."

The girl tried to process what she was saying carefully, since it would be used against her later. "Yeah. I was frustrated, but that was it."

While she tried not to let it show in her tone, Shaolin was relieved that so far, they managed to downplay events, hopefully minimize the damage and build her credibility. 'But…' her eyes slipped to the recording device, a grunt escaping her as she knew that long pauses were going to be used with the utmost contempt against them.

Scooting forward in her chair, Shaolin decided continuing her interrogation by introducing another line of questioning. "That was only one night and there is still a lot of time to cover." She prodded, "I suggest you make this easier on yourself and give up the charade. Remember, your fellow conspirator is already in custody and talking as we speak."

The girl's eyes hardened, as did her resolve. "She's not an accomplice." Senna said firmly, knowing full well that Cirucci wasn't in any condition to talk. "She's a victim."

The Special Forces leader waved her hand dismissively, "Conspirator, accomplice, victim, it doesn't matter what you think." The woman's eyes narrowed, "We will have the truth out of you." Placing her elbow on the desk, the girl closed her eyes and gestured to the suspect, "Now continue your account. I personally know that you spoke to Yoruichi Shihoin a little after we parted ways, requesting 'time-off'. Given her…history" Shaolin forced herself to keep a straight face, as she regurgitated what she was obligated to imply, "some might take it as her being an accomplice in your deeds. So tell me: What did you do?"

Glancing down at the desk, the girl drew in a breath, to both steady her nerves and her 'story'. "Well…what happened next…"

(past)

Pulling herself out of her bed from her restless sleep, Senna's gazed floated across the room until it fell listlessly at her clock, the current time emblazoned in red pixilation. Rubbing her eyes from a combination of strain and sleep deprivation, the girl got up and walked over to her dresser. Seeing the drab dark colors of her uniform, she had to bite back a sad laugh of irony, 'Matches my mood…'

As she started taking of the colorful kimono of yesterday, her eyes drifted to her window showing off the dark city pierced by the white penance tower in the distance, the ebb of dawn barely creeping over the horizon. Slowly her hands came to a stop, as she stared outside, "Cirucci…" she whispered somberly, knowing that right about now, she'd be meeting up with her, before heading to the cafeteria and going to Unohana's to start their day.

A perfectly normal peaceful day.

"Mirokumaru…"

At the sound of her name, the white and black clad monk materialized in the reflection of the glass, replacing her mistress's hurting image. 'Yes, milady?'

"It's…strange."

Tilting her head to the side, the spirit silently urged her master confide in her, "My heart hurts." The girl's fingers curled tighter over the area, grabbing a handful of cloth, "It's not a pleasant feeling, but…"

'But…'

"It feels…" Looking down the girl struggled to find the right word. "It feels 'normal'…in a way. Familiar." Releasing the grip, she held the clothing parted slightly, giving her full view of the scar on her chest. "I don't want to feel like this…"

'It is the pain of loss, Senna. You know of it quite well.' She explained gently, 'The way you are feeling…it is a coping mechanism. You are trying to brace yourself for what will happen.'

"…"

'As your father was taken from you, so to shall Cirucci, if things don't improve.' Seeing her mistress wince at her words, the spirit placed her hand on her shoulder, squeezing faintly for reassurances. 'You now understand the gravity of the situation. So: I ask you once again, do not answer with foolish flights of fancy, or empty whims, but with earnest sincerity: Are you sure you want to commit to what you said?'

Silently weighing things in her mind, the girl stepped away from the window and went to her desk. Pulling out an absent request form from it, she started writing on it, "I want to see Cirucci." She finally said, glancing over her shoulder to the spirit, a quiet strength building inside her. "But I won't go too far. I want to believe the Shinigami can change. It'll just be an emergency plan. I'll get what I need to make it work. But I won't do it if…" the face of the sneering Shinigami burned into her mind surfaced, causing her grimace. 'If…people haven't given in to the fear of trying.'

Turning back to the paper, she finished putting her name on the dotted line. Setting the pen down, the girl swallowed down her fears as she let the waves of emotion swirl inside her. Desperation, fear, loneliness, determination, and a faint shimmer of hope. Exhaling slowly to try and contain herself, she looked to her door, the first step that would truly put her on or off the gauntlet that lay ahead of her. "I'm going to Yoruichi." She said more to herself than Mirokumaru, as she pulled away from the desk.

Now wasn't the time for second guessing.

Exiting her room in the officer's wing of the second division, the ex-human made her way to the goddess of flash. Coming to the door, the girl once again felt the full oppressive weight of the situation, of just what she was about to do. 'You could still turn back…' she heard a small voice in the back of her mind, a quiet trembling voice that she'd never heard before, but knew what it was.

Her breathing started to hitch, as her hands slowly started shake, heart pounding nervously in her chest. It was the fear she held, scared of being hurt, scared of failing, a sympathetic part of her mind that wanted her to take the easy road, the side that just wanted to protect her.

Closing her eyes, she tried to focus her mind to shut out the world and focus on what was important, what really matter right now. Through the haze of her mind, she saw the sea of dirty looks shot their way, uneasy glances when they talked to strangers, and angry shouts telling them to stay away. Through the world of her mind's eye, it was all gone replaced instead by the image of Cirucci standing just on the edge of Sokyoku hill, smiling quietly at her in the morning air, her white Onimitsukido uniform fluttering gently in the breeze.

The Arrancar's smile faltered for just a second, before breaking eye contact with her and holding her arms to the side…before being raised up into the air…before the sound of marching feet pounded in Senna's head as a lines of Shinigami appeared around her watching the ambassador ascend…before a loud groaning 'konk' resonated in the air…before the large halberd known as the Sokyoku aimed itself at the suspended Arrancar and launched itself at her defenseless form!

Snapping back to reality, Senna shook her head fervently. "I can't give up…" Burying the image and her fears as best as she could, the desperate girl knocked on the door.

"It's open." Came the reply.

Opening the door, she stepped inside, spotted the ebon woman sitting at her desk instantly. However, the most curious things, was that instead of being in her captain's attire or her stealth uniform, she was wearing her kimono from last night. Letting her gaze drift over the table, she saw the sake bottle, 'Guess I wasn't the only one to not sleep…' she thought to herself, as she stepped closer.

The captain twirled her drink lightly, as the girl filed forward, deathly silent with a piece of paper in hand. "Making me work already, kiddo?" she asked jokingly, flashing a grim smile.

…

A pause.

"Oh." Senna said distractedly, "Sorry. That was a joke." 'I wish I had that kind of optimism…'

"It's fine." The woman tried to play off, setting her drink down as leaned in close. "What's up?"

"I…" the girl glanced to her hand clutching her request, and her voice died. 'M-mirokumaru…'

'Yes…?' the spirit replied sensing the very clear worry in her mistress's tone.

'I can't lie!' she sweatdropped, realizing the first huge roadblock in her way, 'They'd see right through me.'

The monk brought a finger to her mouth to consider it, 'That they will.' She admitted, eyes falling to her lady's shaking fist. Taking a moment to consider the options, the priestess took hold of the girl's hand and steadied it, 'Milady…'

'Yeah?' she replied, casting a sideways glance, trying not to let the uncertainty of things show on her face.

Because if she did, if she was suspected now, it would be over.

'Act. Act as you truly feel.' The spirit advised, slowly raising the girl's hand up, 'If you are scared, be scared. If you are sad, be sad. If you are angry, be angry. If you cannot trust your mouth, let your actions speak for you. Your heart will not lie and they will be deceived.'

'Don't think.' She summarized to herself, feeling the paper slip from her hands. 'Just feel. I…I think I can do this.' Refocusing on the situation, her eyes watched as Yoruichi pulled the paper free from her grasp.

Golden eyes darted over the parchment, her face neutral and flat, until a twinge, eyebrows furrowing, lips pursing, cheek tightening. "Requesting time off."

Keeping her mouth shut, she nodded her head slowly.

Yoruichi looked away from the paper and back at her "May I ask why?"

While a fair innocent question in any normal circumstance, the mere utterance of it triggered a dismal grunt that rumbled from Senna's throat. 'Did…did she just ask why?' the girl felt her mouth part just a hair, before she locked together.

Why?

Why would someone even ask that in this situation?

Wasn't it painfully obvious?

"Senna?" the other woman prompted.

Taking a breath to calm herself, she managed to stop her knee-jerk reaction of just yelling out. Looking back at her captain, she decided to show a little of how she felt. Letting out a sigh, she glanced at the chair beside her, "Can I sit down?"

When she got the silent go ahead, she took the chair and vented, "I don't want to think about Soul Society right now."

"The decision." The captain inferred based on the evidence in front of her.

Senna nodded despondently, "Yeah." Glancing away, she reflected on her inner turmoil to better articulate her feelings to the woman, "I…I'm disgusted?" 'Well, yes, but not quite.' "Scared?" 'Not for me…' "Sad?" 'Maybe upset…is better said?'

The girls frown deepened, "I don't know." She said with a shake of her head.

At her listener silent urging, Senna tried to consolidate it, as best as she could. The closest she could come to describe the feeling was that same feeling fateful day in Karakura town, when her world was turned upside-down, and she could only watch. "I guess…" the vulnerable girl glanced back to Yoruichi. "I feel helpless. I want to believe everything will be okay…that we'll be able to convince them to maybe re-think their decision."

"And we will!" The ebon woman argued adamantly.

'And we will?' Senna repeated incredulously at what she just heard. Her knee-jerk reaction pushed once again, 'And we will!?'

"Senna-"

"Don't patronize me Yoruichi!" the girl shouted, tears of anger forming around her eyes. Deep down, Senna knew it was an off-the-cuff statement on the flash goddess' part, a token reassurance on her part. But in that moment, it didn't matter. She was deathly serious, and a casual substantiation of hope was not what she needed. "I'm not an idiot! I know how they looked at me and Cirucci; like a monster." The tears started to fall freely, as the girl shook in a torrent of emotions, "They're terrified of us."

A quiet uneasiness settled into the room after her outburst. The sound of the nekomata adjusting in her chair was the only noise for a few good seconds. 'I…I overdid it.' Senna admonished herself, as she wiped away the tears, feeling terribly for lashing out at the first person trying to understand and even comfort her. "I'm sorry." She apologized, "I didn't mean" 'Want' "To yell at you."

"It's alright." The sympathetic captain said slowly, "You're depressed. I can tell."

"Maybe." The girl pondered, she knew she wasn't entirely wrong, she had felt sad before, but this crushing pressure was worse. The only time she'd felt it before was when her dad went missing and when he died. "I keep thinking about dad, about dying. I don't want to lose Cirucci or any of the Arrancar because…"

Yoruichi moved in closer, "Because?" she prodded.

'Because it's not fair and I can do something to help them.'

"I keep thinking that 'this could have been me.' If Ichigo-kun and Soifon-chan hadn't vouched for me to Soul Society," she paused solemnly, thinking back to the countless times the pair had intervened when things started to look dangerous, "if I was involved differently in things, would they have locked me up too, once I did my part?"

"Senna…" The former exile's face fell, clearly reminded with how she and Kisuke were treated by the mob mindset of Soul Society and understanding of her reservations. It was her first time.

"I…sorry." The young girl apologized softly, her eyes falling to the form she'd handed over, 'But I just want to have peace of mind.' "I just need to get away for a bit."

"I understand." The ignorant woman replied. Turning to the form, she'd been handed, she began signing away, "Have you spoken to Ichigo, Soifon, or Unohana about how you're feeling?"

Senna shook her head, "No, not really." The closest she'd come was last night, and even then, she was hesitant to talk to her. Trying to move from the current topic, she tried to change the avenue of things. "I just wanted to de-compress. I think I told them I wasn't feeling good. I didn't want to worry them."

"I think they'd worry more seeing you like this."

"Probably." She accented to the woman's completely accurate assessment. "I'll think about it for now."

'Senna-sama, Yoruichi-sama does raise a point.' The Zanpaktou spirit raised, 'If we wish to be undisturbed in our actions, we should see Unohana-sama. Otherwise, people will worry.'

'Yeah, you're right.' "I need to talk to Unohana about pausing my treatment for a bit." 'I need all the time I can get.'

Satisfied with herself, Yoruichi stood up from her desk and politely handed back the request, signed and documented. "Well, just remember that she'd probably going to be at the captain's meeting today. So, she might be busy."

'That's fine. I need to go to Shaolin's office to see if she has any spare uniforms.'

As her hands grabbed the form, a loud knock echoed from the entrance door. 'Who could that be this early in the morning?'

"Yoruichi-san." Senna's heart stopped when she heard the voice that could only belong to Shaolin. "It's me."

'Oh no…' the girl paled, very much unready to run into the ex-captain. Heck, the entire reason she got up so early was in the hope she wouldn't run into her until she could come up with a half decent excuse for yesterday's interaction.

"Ah, early as always." Yoruichi said airily, amused by her proteges earnest punctuality. "I gotta get changed," she said to Senna, as she turned to the door connecting to her room, "So can you let her in on your way out?"

Senna's eyes widened, as a wave of panic flooded her system. 'No, don't you leave me here alone!' she wanted to scream.

'Be strong, Senna-sama. You can do it.' Mirokumaru encouraged, trying to help her stay the course as her partner.

'Oh man.' Closing her eyes, she forced a smile on her face, "Sure."

The ebon woman flashed a cat-like smile, "Thanks."

As the yukata-clad woman turned to her room, the demure girl called to her, "Wait." Stopping, the woman turned her golden gaze fondly at her, ready to listen.

'Senna-sama?' Mirokumaru questioned her ladyship.

'I want to be sure of something, before I take the final step.' The girl whispered back.

The spirit nodded agreeably, 'of course, milady. Do whatever you must to set the course for your heart.'

'Thank-you Mirokumaru.' "Umm, be honest." She spoke slowly as she laid bare her last doubts of the situation, "Soul Society has given into fear, hasn't it?"

There it was, finally said aloud. The culmination of everything she had experienced, every dismissive attitude, condescending glare, the root of what she believed to be the problem.

Fear of the unknown. Fear of understanding. Fear to accept. Fear to try.

The brown woman paused, placing a hand on her hip and giving the question it's due consideration, since it was clearly a major part of the reason why the vizard showed up at her doorstep after yesterday's events.

Sighing loudly, the woman gave the girl a weary look, "Honestly?"

Receiving all the hints from her tone and body language, Senna's mood darkened, 'So it's true. I thought so.'

"It's okay." She lied coolly.

'Senna-sama…'

'I won't hesitate.' She answered internally, more resolutely. 'Not anymore. I'm going to do what I know is right.'

"Forget I said anything."

"Okay." The captain said calmly, trying to be empathetic after giving the young woman a bitter pill of truth about Soul Societies checkered past.

Nodding slowly, the girl allowed the captain to exit to her private quarters. Once the door to Yoruichi's room closed, Senna heaved a heavy sigh, resigning herself to her endeavor and the truth of things. Putting on a brave face, the lieutenant pushed away from the desk and moved to the door holding her next trial.

Opening the door, the girl came face to face with her senpai-in-love. Watching the shorter woman give a cute awkward glance at the door's insignia, Senna almost smiled, if she was in a better mood, she might have teased her.

(Present)

"So, you requested time off to enact your jail break." Shaolin surmised, "And even deceived several officers and took advantage of your position of lieutenant to do so."

Despite the truth in the accusation, Senna merely shook her head, trying to keep her cool, "I'm pretty sure, I only said that I requested time off. Anyone can do that, as long as they fill out the proper forms."

"I see." Shaolin said quietly, flashing a hidden smile at the girl, obviously relieved that things were progressing smoothly. Senna's posture relaxed a bit, but she kept her face as neutral as possible, eyes darting to the observation window. "You say that," Shaolin spoke again, much sterner, another silent prompting for the girl to focus, "but I know that your actions are far from innocent."

"Well, what do you mean?"

Gesturing to herself, she unveiled the next topic for her to navigate, "A folder of mind went missing after Kurosaki-Taichō and myself were called to the captain's meeting. I then found you in my office alone. Curious, isn't it? Perhaps you can explain what you did after leaving Yoruichi's."

Looking away, the girl took a second to meditate on how she was going to frame this given the precariousness of how things looked, "Well, after we finished talking to each other…"

(Past)

Having broken away from Shaolin, the vizard girl made a slow leisurely stroll away until she heard the door to Yoruichi's room close shut. Once the reverberation of wood on wood reached her ear, she bolted for her room.

Once she crossed the threshold of her domain, she closed and locked the door, before throwing herself on the bed. "Ohmygod,ohmygod,ohmygod! I did it. I actually did it." The woman buried her head into her pillow and squealed with delight, undeservingly proud of herself, but coming face to face with Shaolin, she didn't care.

'Senna-sama.' Her weapon chimed, materializing across from her. Sparing a glance at the robed woman floating in the air, the girl nodded gently and tried to calm herself down. Once she was controlled, the Miko offered a gentle smile, 'Congratulation so far. But we mustn't tarry for too long.'

Pushing herself up, Senna nodded, "Right. Sorry. Umm, so what's the next thing we have to do."

'The Onimitsukido.'

"Oh right. The ninja spies." She repeated, as she got up from her bed. She still needed to get information on them. "Well, Yoruichi and her are going to be going to a meeting right now. So, now's the best time to get that."

The Miko nodded, her large hat baying slightly, 'I agree. But we cannot simply walk in there. People would notice.'

Senna hummed to herself, seeing the spirit's point. They needed to get the information out and not draw attention to themselves, not exactly an easy order considering Shaolin has already seen her and Yoruichi already told her that they wouldn't be in. Looking to her desk, she saw an assortment of her work folder laying on top.

After a moment's pondering, inspiration blossomed in the girl's mind, "I have to see Shaolin-chan." She said aloud, walking over to the desk. Picking up a work folder, she looked back at the spirit, "I can do some work while I'm waiting, can't I?"

The girl's partner was taken aback by her cleverness but couldn't help giving her a knowing smile. 'Indeed. You should finish your work before departing.'

With folder in hand, the girl exited out of her room and made her way to the other sector of the squad two barrack, the Special Forces side. Once she crossed the threshold that separated the two sides, Senna felt eyes upon her. While very few Shinigami were patrolling the second squad barrack perimeters this early in the morning, there was always Onimitsukido hidden away somewhere keeping watch of their side. It was this trait that made them great soldier for Shaolin and a thorn in Senna's side given what she was about to do.

While she might have been lieutenant, it didn't mean she had any gravitas with these guys, Omaeda was proof enough of that. If they told her to leave, unless she had business, she had to leave. And it was at that juncture, that Senna was glad that she was, who she was.

Everyone knew who she was: The human that fought against Aizen on behalf of Soul Society.

What she was: Vizard and interim-Lieutenant of squad 2.

What her situation was: Honored guest and ward of both captain's Kurosaki.

She was in short: an accepted presence, a liaison between the Onimitsukido and squad 2. Nothing that would raise questions or alarms as to why she was moving around in their midst.

Still, knowing that her every movement was being monitored, even if it was most likely a pass-over glance didn't make things easy. Feigning her normal unassuming gait, as she walked through the halls, passed by security operatives, was a task Senna found a little difficult. By trying to not seem nervous or suspicious, she worried that she'd stick out, and by worrying of that she'd attempt to counteract it, which in turn made her feel like she was doing something that she wasn't supposed to be, which was true.

Through an exercise of patience and reassurance of Mirokumaru, the Vizard reached her destination: Soifon's office. After giving a polite acknowledging smile of the operative informing her that the commander was out, Senna walked down the rest of the hallway and entered her senpai's domain.

Closing the door behind her, the girl let out a sigh of relief, nerves completely frazzled at this point. 'That was close…' the girl stressed, flicking the lock of the door.

While she knew no one would dare question her being in Shaolin's office, she also knew that Soifon was going to hear of her being there, which meant leaving wasn't an option, at least not without a really good reason. 'Two birds with one stone, Senna. I can do this.'

Pushing herself from the door, the girl walked over to the desk and began opening drawers looking through anything labelled Onimitsukido related and placing it on the desk. Done with the first drawer, she opened the second and was about to go through them, until she thought about who this placed belonged to.

Shaolin was the physical embodiment of organization and order. Looking at the folders, she realized, thankfully, that she was going to have to put the folders back in the correct order, lest she tip off Shaolin.

Returning back to the first drawer, she widened the gaps where she took the folders from, as a key reminder for herself, before returning to the second drawer and counting her infiltration.

Finishing the second drawer, Senna's eyes flickered to the five folders laying on top, her growing pile. Glancing behind her at the row of filing cabinets lining the back corner, her frown deepened. Slowly closing the drawer with a dull thud, she attacked the files, eyes shifting crazily between the various types of information presented.

'Nothing.' She tsked impatiently, slamming the first folder closed, before going to the next, hand shaking, as she flipped through the documents. 'Nothing!'

'Senna!'

"Eep!" The girl immediately turned to the door, face frozen in fear at the notion of being caught. When she saw the door was still closed, and locked, her body relaxed just a hair.

'My apologies, Milady. I didn't mean to frighten you.'

'I-it's okay. Did you need something?'

'Yes. I request that you calm thyself. You grow impatient. Panicked. Frustrated. Your mind becomes clouded.'

'I know.' The girl admitted quietly, 'But I need to hurry. I still have to get the information. A-and then the uniforms. And then I-'

'Senna.' The spirit said more sternly, silencing the girl's protests. 'Focus on one thing at a time.' Materializing beside her, she gestured to the folders in front of her. 'For now, find the information on the Onimitsukido. The concealment gear, we can obtain from Ichigo-sama. We do not need to get both at once. We have time.'

Glancing back at the folders, the girl gave her partner's words some consideration, 'Okay, you have a point. So, what should we do?'

The monk placed a reassuring hand on the Shinigami's shoulder, 'We both know Shaolin-sama is very organized. She would be aware if a folder was out of place.' She said, gesturing to the files already laid out.

'Right. I know that.'

'So that must mean she has some sorting system. A reminding hint.' The woman then leaned against the desk, and pointed at the open folder, 'We don't need to read every document. We just need to get an idea of what is placed in it.'

"How it's arranged." Senna muttered, seeing what her partner was getting at. As the spirit disappeared, the girl opened the third folder and read the first document, gleaming the information that seemed like a status report. Casually flipping to the next, she saw striking similarities.

Operative name, location, occurrence, time.

'It's a report log. The files here most be a compilation of mission reports.'

'Indeed. We can ignore this one.' Mirokumaru concurred.

Feeling more confident, Senna closed the folder and set it aside to tackle the next one. Using the same tracing and sorting technique, she started flipping through the folder more quickly until she found one that broke the mold. Instead of a dated page and time with an operatives account, she saw a small-scale map of Seireitei subdivided into a grid with various white dots placed on it with a penned in name. 'Is this it?'

Flipping the page over, she saw a master-list of names with small abbreviations beside them. Looking at the first name, she flipped back to the map and tried finding the spot. 'There. This person will be there between this time and this time. This must be where the operatives are stationed and who they switch out with.'

'A complex network system. Truly this is Shaolin-sama handiwork, we'll need to look for a weakness.' Mirokumaru asserted, 'We've got what we needed. Put everything back where you found it. Shaolin-sama could be on her way back.'

'You don't need to tell me twice.' The girl replied back, as she started putting things away, quickly but quietly to avoid causing a commotion. As the last file was put away, the girl glanced at the kitty-cat clock on the wall, ticking the time away with a casual swipe of its tail. She'd been there for nearly an hour.

Turning back to the door, she quickly unlocked it, before returning back to the empty guests' chair and sitting in it. Opening her folder, she stuck the stolen documents in the very back, and brought out the work to mask her presence out. Taking out a pen, the girl closed her eyes to clear her mind as best as she could, before setting herself to play the part of 'diligent worker'.

The task was far more difficult that she had expected given what was already on her mind and her looming unavoidable confrontation with her beloved Senpai.

A few minutes later, the door to the office opened up, and in walked Shaolin. Turning to the woman standing at the door, Senna swallowed the lump in her throat and called out to her, "Oh hey." She said shakily, offering a modest smile to ease the tension. The stony-faced woman's eyes flickered away from her disingenuous smile, boring a little harder at her posture, 'Uh-oh.' Tilting her head to the side, she chuckled to herself, "You really scared me."

"I scared you?" she repeated back to her in her usual cool tone, making the girl's heart pound even harder at being found out. The insufferable silence lingered between them for a few seconds more, before Shaolin cocked her head to the side, a playful grin on her lips. "And just who were you expecting to show up in my office?"

Seeing her senpai show her more casual relaxed side, Senna laughed gingerly, but her eyes didn't miss the brief flicker of relief run across the woman's face. 'I guess I made her worry huh…' she thought guiltily, as her giggle died down.

"In all seriousness," the ex-captain began, expression turning to concern, as she stepped closer, "what are you doing sitting here by yourself?"

Turning her eyes away from the woman, she took a practiced glance at her folder, which she gently closed. "I was doing some work while waiting for you." As she expected, the woman directed her full attention to her, clearly picking up that there was more to it than that, and waited patiently for her to continue, "I…kinda wanted to be alone too." Senna admitted, allowing some of her true feeling to show through.

Responding to the honest show of emotions, Shaolin eased off, as she walked over to her seat, "Is that why you lied to me about not feeling well this morning? It wasn't just to ditch your rehab, right?"

"Well…I wasn't feeling good." The girl admitted truthfully, even now she wasn't, but more for her action than bodily changes. Clasping her fingers together, she glanced worriedly at her folder containing the stolen files, "But if it was because of the stomach-ache like I said or because I was a little…depressed, I don't really know."

Perking back up, she saw the captain's eyes widened at the word depression. The girl locked up a bit, wondering if maybe she'd jeopardized things by opening up too much, casted a doubt in Shaolin's mind. The girl stayed silent worry evident on her face, as she waited for the other woman to respond.

After letting the word sink in, the captain seemingly took an empathetic approach to her, "We'll do our best, Senna."

Hearing the almost mirrored words of Yoruichi, Senna felt that knee-jerk reaction to open the flood gates she was feelings. Thankfully for her though, she'd already tempered that response after dealing with Yoruichi and more importantly because she was dealing with Shaolin. Shaolin, her sensei, her senpai, her friend, her sister. The one who's trust had been betrayed by those she held closest.

Senna flinched at remembering that, at remembering the pain of losing someone you loved with all your heart. 'I…I don't wanna hurt her…'

'Senna-sama, it too late to turn back now.' Mirokumaru warned her, 'If you admit to what you've done, you will never have another chance to do this.'

'I know.' She answered quietly, 'I just…hope this works out.'

'I understand, milady.'

"I…appreciate what you're trying to do Soifon-chan. But you don't have to lie too." The dark-haired woman gasped slightly, uncomfortable with the way she was responding to her attempt to cheer her up. It wasn't what she'd thought would happen, "Soul Society made its decision about hybrids, not just the Arrancar, a long time ago, because they're afraid of us."

'Even after everything you, me, Cirucci and Ichigo have spoken on about how people react around us, the people in charge don't care. They want to look the other way, because it's easier, because it's not them. It's easier to destroy what you're afraid of then try and understand.'

"Don't think like that Senna." Shaolin said, reaching over and taking hold of one of her hands, rubbing it soothingly with her thumb. Locking eyes with her, the vizard girl saw the determined but soothing look on her face. "We haven't lost yet." She reminded her, "We'll make them see beyond fear."

Breaking her gaze with the pleading woman, the vizard could only turn inwards, 'I don't get it Mirokumaru.' She spoke to her spirit, pensive frown on her face, 'How can she say that to me and…make me want to believe her.'

'Because,' the spirit replied solemnly, 'Unlike Yoruichi-sama, who was simply trying to spare your feelings, Shaolin-sama is empathizing with you. She, like you, is speaking from the bottom of her heart.'

'Shaolin-chan…'

Pulling her hands away from the woman, the girl took a moment to consider what to say to her. 'I want to believe too, but…' She forced a reassuring smile.

"Thanks. Shaolin-chan."

'But I'm not going to sit back and do nothing, just because it's not me.'

"I'll try."

'I'm going to do what's right.'

Turning away from the ignorant woman, who still seemed concerned, the purple haired girl exhaled slowly, "Umm, I'm sorry." She apologized bashfully, releasing some of guilt she felt for her deception. When Shaolin picked up on it, the girl intercepted before she could reply, "To bug you about this, I mean. You've got other prob-"

"It's okay, Senna." The woman interceded fiercely, knowing the exact words that were going to spill from her lips. A self-deluded lie the captain wanted to adamantly dispel, a sentiment she used to hold when serving Yoruichi, her 'goddess'. "Just because I have other problems, it DOESN'T mean your concerns are suddenly invalidated. It's not some kind of competition, Senna."

Pushing herself out of the chair, the Chinese woman walked around the desk separating them, her not breaking once from the young woman's conflicted expression. Reaching the final step beside her, Senna looked up at her companion shivering slightly, when she saw her own fearful expression mirrored in her solemn gray eyes. Lifting her arms from her sides, the ex-captain pulled the emotional girl close.

"I'll always make time for you." The woman vowed softly.

While it was just a gentle promise, it had a massively guilt inducing effect on Senna. Her breathing became more erratic, as she slowly started to shake, her emotions running haywire. 'Senna-sama!'

'It's okay, Mirokumaru…' the girl chocked, a feeling of sweet catharsis coming over her. 'I'm okay.'

"Because I lov…" Shaolin stopped hesitantly, also reeling from how casually she had almost thrown out 'that' word. "I 'care' about you." She corrected herself.

Lowering her head, the girl smiled through her tears, happy to feel the warmth of love and belonging, she craved in her heart of hearts. The feeling of having someone eternally on your side. "M…me too."

'I love you, Shaolin-senpai.'

As the pair basked in the much-needed decompression, Senna knew it would have to end eventually. She still had things to do, but once it was over, once she could clear her conscience, she was going to be upfront with them, to never go behind their backs again.

They were all she truly had left of her family. They were everything.

"Umm, thanks." Senna mumbled shyly, as she got up from her chair.

Gazing fondly at the young woman, the expectant mother stroked her friend's cheek soothingly with her thumb, "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, still sensing something further within the girl, willing to hear her out.

Knowing that she couldn't trust her mouth over the rush of emotions, the saboteur moved to pick up her folder from the desk. Once she had the item, she came for secured, she turned back to the expectant Shaolin. Leaning in, Senna placed her lips on the woman's cheek, returning her affection chastely despite the allure of her unprotected lips.

Pulling away, Senna felt a smile spread across her face at look of embarrassing happiness on the tsundere's face, "I…wanted to show my appreciation." She said flimsily, knowing it was that and also her only way to circumvent answering.

Shaolin for her part, bought it easily, "O-oh…"

"I'm really glad I came." The girl said openly, "I got what I needed and more. Thanks, Shaolin, I'm really sorry for making you worry. I won't do it again."

"It's okay…" the woman tried to play off coolly, and not look like a love-struck fool. Judging by her fluster it wasn't working to either girl's delight, "And thanks for the kiss."

(Present)

"I see." Shaolin said coolly, mulling over how to frame her response, "Not only did you steal the document, but you even tried to deceive me by planting it elsewhere."

Staying silent, Senna glanced away guiltily. There was no way she could try and paint it anyway that the others wouldn't be able to contradict.

Both women knew it.

"I'll be sure to motion for court martial later." The woman threatened hollowly. She had much bigger fish to fry like trying to keep the damage to a minimum. "So, since you're feeling so remorseful, mind explain the uniform we found Cirucci in? I know for a fact she wears the white Onimitsukido and not a black standard Shinigami uniform."

"What are you getting at?" Senna asked, trying to decipher what she was turning the topic towards.

"According to Jidanbo, before you were apprehended, you left with several masked individuals in Shinigami attire and more importantly Onimitsukido gear. Considering how we found Cirucci, the implication is clear. So let me ask: did you break into our store house to steal uniforms?"

Seeing the opening prompt, the amber-eyed girl shook her head, "No, I didn't steal from the quarter master, if that's what you are accusing me of."

"So then where did you get it? Is there another person we need to talk to?"

'She's trying to exonerate Ichigo and herself to appear unbiased.' Mirokumaru deduced,

'I know.' The girl replied, "Look you don't need any wild conspiracy theories. I'll just tell you. After I left your office, I went to my room and-"

(past)

Stepping into her room, the vizard felt the weight on her shoulder lift temporarily. Glancing down at the folder carrying Shaolin's stolen documentation, she still felt a tinge of regret, but it was tempered by the thrill of accomplishing her first major hurdle. Walking over to her bed, she pulled out the folders, "I gotta try and memorize this."

'Actually,' Mirokumaru spoke from the recesses of her mind, 'I would ill-advice that.'

'What do you mean? Do you have a better idea?'

'Holding unto these folders is a mite bit careless. You risk not only discovery, but futility, if Shaolin-sama simply decided to re-write a new one if we take too long in studying this.'

'Oh…' the girl grimaced, not realizing the unforeseen hick-up in her actions would have had disastrous results, if not pointed out to her. 'So, what should we do? I need this information, but I can't exactly sneak back into Shaolin's room again to put it back.'

The spirit pondered the conundrum, 'Milady is there some way to capture the image of the map?'

'"capture the image"?' the girl repeated to herself, as she looked around the room for something that might help. Looking up on her dresser, she paused mid-turn when she saw her old cell phone. Struck with inspiration, she hurried over to it and tried turning it on, only to be met with disappointment when she saw the black screen flash a depleted battery, 'Of course.' She thought to herself, remembering that in this world, her otherwise revolutionary device was simply just a cool relic of her old life without the proper electrical outlets.

'I guess it's a little too late to ask Kisuke for a power converter.' The girl thought dismally, placing the phone back down on the dresser. 'Not like I could page him all the way from here anyway…' the girl gasped, as her thoughts hot keyed to something else. "The soul pager!"

Opening her dresser, she scoured through it looking for the device, tossing her things on her bed, before rummaging into the next compartment. After a few minutes of searching, the wide-eyed girl broke into a smile. "Aha!" she exalted, pulling out the phone shaped device. Flipping it over, she powered it on with her reiatsu and mashed the buttons till she found the correct setting. Once the photo capture was on, she walked back to the folder and clicked away.

Satisfied with the photos, the girl closed the folder and turned to her invisible aid, 'Alright, got it.'

'Excellent, milady. Now all that remains is to get the Onimitsukido clothing and return the folder, and I have just the idea to accomplish this.'

Smiling mischievously, Senna's eyes wandered over to the pile of clothes thrown on her bed, 'And I think I know what you're thinking.'

'I agree.' The spirit chuckled, fading away, 'While you're doing your laundry, see if Ichigo-sama needs any done.'

Not wasting a second the girl grabbed a laundry basket. Throwing some random clothes in it, she marched off towards her brothers, the incriminating folder nestled gently on top.

Her ensuing trip was a veritable cakewalk compared to her first, mostly in part that the average Shinigami was nowhere near as vigilant or inquisitive as an Onimitsukido. Given her status, no one gave her a second glance, as she walked from entrance to her destination with a laundry basket.

Reaching Ichigo's room, the Vizard tried opening the door only to hear the lock jingle in place. Setting down her basket, the woman fished into her pockets for her keyring. Flipping down from her room key to the pair of dangling emergency room keys for Ichigo and Shaolin room, the girl unlocked the door. Putting the key away, she gave a quick glance down the hall to make sure no one witnessed her, before entering with her basket.

Once inside, the lieutenant quietly closed the door behind her and took a deep breath to help focus her on the goals. Put the folder, get the clothes. Simple. Walking over to the desk, the girl set her basket down on the floor and grabbed the folder on top. Placing the folder on top of a small stack of other folders, the girl took a step back to examine her handiwork.

Eyes darting over the desk, the girl tilted her head to the side, as her lips settled into a frown. "Too perfect." She muttered to herself.

'What do you mean, milady?' her partner asked, drawn to her consternation.

Sweeping her hand over the desk, the girl said, "It doesn't seem right. You know, like, the folder there?" she pointed at the once she placed, "It seems a little out of place from all the other folders. You know?" she shrugged, "Like it was planted I guess?"

Appearing beside her now, the spirit followed her line of sight and then looked over the desk, 'I…still don't understand…'

Turning to her partner, she tried to explain it, 'What I mean is: Wouldn't he notice a strange folder just suddenly appearing on his desk? I'm trying not to get caught here.'

Sympathizing with her point, the spirit turned back to the desk and focused her gaze over the desk, trying to find a way to assist in the situation.

…

…

The Taoist priestess shook her head, as she returned back to the girl. 'Senna-sama.'

'Yes?'

'You're thinking too hard.' She said flatly.

'Huh!?' the girl lurched back, surprised by that answer.

Walking around the desk, the spirit stood behind the chair and swept her hand over the desk, calling her attention to the table. 'Milady, I want you to answer me this question: Where else would you find a folder that was 'recently read'?'

'Err…' the girl stumbled, since the first answer that came to her mind was also the obvious.

'You are confusing fiction with reality.'

'Are you…saying that I'm being dumb.'

'In a manner of speaking. You are worried Ichigo-sama will notice.' The girl nodded in obvious agreement. 'Your fear is of being caught is causing your imagination to impose itself on you. Ichigo-sama is not a paranoid man. If he saw a folder in a pile with other folders, he'd either assume it was brought by a subordinate or he grabbed it by accident, before thinking someone broke into his wife's office and travelled all the way to his office to plant it, don't you think?'

Face reddening rightfully at the clear trail of logic, Senna looked away, "I'm an idiot."

Stepping away, the spirit tipped her hat down slightly. 'Better said you fell into a pitfall of your own way of thinking. Proceed prudently.'

'Okay. Keep things straight-forward then.' She instructed herself.

Backing away from the desk, Senna picked up her basket and headed into Ichigo's private quarters. Expertly navigating his room, she made her way through his dresser plucking out some choice clothing amidst the headbands, face masks and long sleeved Onimitsukido Uniform, grabbing just enough where it wouldn't be too noticeable, ready to supplement any deficit with her own clothes.

Glossing over the taken clothes, she put the half she needed on the bottom separated by a barrier of her own random garments and then put some of Ichigo's clothes from his laundry basket on top of that, putting a thin line of her panties as a reminder separator.

Finished with her task, the Vizard stepped out of the room, and, after casting one last glance at the stolen folder laying on the desk, exited the room in route to the barracks' laundromat, the door to his office not quite shutting closed behind her.

(Present)

'I see, so she must have stolen it from Ichigo.' Shaolin concluded based on the clues that matched up to her store. "So, you say you only got them by chance mix-up? That someone grabbed yours and you theirs?"

Shaking nervously, Senna nodded, "Y-yeah. It was just a switch-up. Someone else must have used a machine close to mine and grabbed it while I was visiting Ichigo at the third division."

Shaolin raised an eyebrow, "Do you truly expect us to believe that you are such an incompetent airhead that not only did you leave your clothes unattended, but then traveled all the way to the third division to speak to Captain Kurosaki, just to pass some time?"

"Well," the purple haired girl shrugged softly, "I didn't exactly have any work I had to do, and I hadn't told Ichigo I was given time off. So, two bird with one stone, you know?"

As her inquisitor's eyes narrowed, the girl sighed, as she leaned back in her chair, "Look, you already know I didn't go anywhere near the Onimitsukido storage house to get them. If I did you would already know and just asked: 'Why I went there' and not 'Where did I get it'."

"So, you maintain that it was just happen-chance. That there was no third-party actor that intervened?"

"Well, what do you think? You can ask Ichigo; he'll tell you the truth. You can ask yourself, but you already know. If Soul Society isn't willing to listen, then maybe it's not ready for the truth." Senna said a little more frustratedly, her annoyance beginning to show.

Inwardly, Shaolin smiled. 'Good.' She thought to herself, it would make her seem more believable, if Senna sounded flatly confrontational and not evasive. She already knew the true answer, but as long as it wasn't directly pointed out then Senna's words, no matter how absurd they seemed would have to be taken as truth since it aligned with events thus far. Remaining silent for just a moment longer, Shaolin growled, letting faux-frustration spill over the recorder. "This isn't about Soul Society, it's about you. And I'm the one that asks the questions."

Seeing the intentionally belligerent portrayal Shaolin made, Senna's frown eased a bit. "Alright."

Leaning back in the chair, the ex-captain waved her hand dispassionately, "I'll confer later with Captain Kurosaki on whether or not you were truly there, but in the meantime was there anything else that occurred that day that you wish to state on the record. We will be calling witnesses."

Looking away, the girl thought back to that day, "After seeing Ichigo, I went to go to Unohana…while my clothes still needed drying. I wanted to know about my treatments."

'Most likely to set up her alibi with Unohana then.' Crossing her arms, the Chinese woman leaned back in her chair. "Alright, I believe you so far. So, with that said, let's move ahead to the time the crime likely occurred." Shifting forward, the Chinese woman gestured to the recorder, "Before answering, I suggest that you remember that whatever flimsy justification you might have, doesn't excuse your actions. You will face justice."

The girl waited patiently, trying not to let the forced threat get to her. She knew that Shaolin was only pretending to be intimidating, but it didn't mean that she could take it lightly. This was the messy part where all roads led to her guilt. It was just a matter of who she took with her.

"You said that you were going to bed." Soifon framed, "How did it lead to the events of today?"

Placing her hands together, the accused softly said, "After that…"

(past)

After telling one final lie to her loved ones about an early start on her journey, Senna returned to her dwellings. All the pieces of her plan had been set into place, her excuses collected, witnesses unwittingly collaborated, everything short of the task itself had been check-marked off.

Except for this one final task.

Sitting on her bed, staring into the alarm clock resting in her hand, all Senna had to do was set the time and then rest up. It was the one insignificant thing she had to do in order to set the jail break in motion. Tearing her eyes away the device, the girl glanced out her window, her objective, the penance tower, stood imposingly against the dying rays of the sun. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she clicked the button for the alarm, before walking over to the window and shutting the curtains.

The next time she would see the sun through this window the deed would be done. There was no going back.

Returning back to her bed, the young woman drifted off to an uneasy sleep. As her body rested, her mind was deep within her soul-scape, walking through each part of the plan with her Zanpaktou.

Bzzt.

Bzzt.

Bzzt.

The lieutenant and Zanpaktou broke discussion staring skyward where the dull monotonous buzz of the alarm dictated that it was showtime. Turning back to each other, the pair shared a look of solidarity, before Senna faded from her inner world, the spirit left wondering just how this night would unfold.

Eyes flying open, the girl reached through the darkness to the alarm, the flashing red LED lights signaling that 2200 was just a few minutes away. Pushing the button to make the noise stop, the girl slipped out of bed and walked over to her window, reopening the curtains to see the pale moon partially hidden by the cloudy night sky. "Alright." She braced herself, knowing she wasn't going to get a better night than this to go unseen. "Let's do this."

Dressing herself in her normal clothes, Senna then added on the face mask and head bandana to further conceal her identity. Once she was sure it was on tight, she grabbed her soul pager from the charger and opened up the file containing the Onimitsukido placement folder.

Storing it in her pocket for now, she reached for Mirokumaru, the golden staff locked away in Asauchi form. Securing it around her waist, the girl quickly ran through her mental checklist of everything just to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything else. Satisfied with her once over, the girl left her room.

Her trip through the second division had been thankfully uneventful, save for the few patrolling pair, who didn't bother with her, simply assuming she was Onimitsukido by the way she was dressed, the barracks was largely empty. Reaching the back-end corridor, Senna pulled out her pager and activated the map feature.

The overview appeared along with several spots with black land-mark X's placed in. Looking to her immediate left, she followed it till she hit the building closest to the general assembly grounds. Tilting her head up, her gaze kept going level by level, until she saw the land marked Onimitsukido, perched near the edge of the roof looking over that sector. 'Okay. Looks like it didn't change.' The girl smiled to herself, "Time to get moving."

Continuing down her path, the vizard eventually reached the training field assembly yard. Walking towards the backwall with a hole in it, she hopped over and proceeded into the connecting forest, the same one that she and the other 'infil-traitors' had holed up just before the Sokyoku execution.

Able to move much more swiftly due to the lack of watchful eyes, the girl followed the familiar path until the unassuming opening appeared before her. Proceeding in, her soul pager displayed an error message form all the seki-seki rock walls interference. Passing through the entrance, the girl's eyes met the well-lit expanse of the training ground. Glancing at her soul pager to make sure it was on the fritz, Senna pulled out her sword and twirled it slowly between her fingers. "Take them to the twilight, Mirokumaru."

Shimmering in response to her spiritual energy, the sword glowed and elongated itself. The edge incased in the golden sheath of the rod as the hilt grew into a long head with a series of rings attached, chiming gently with the sway of motion. Once the Zanpaktou had fully transformed, she quickly planted it against the ground, as her eyes closed, a sharp gasp escaping her mouth as she felt her chest tighten up. It has been a bit since she released her power and she had to take a moment to catch her breath to compensate for the sudden release in power. Steadying her breathing carefully, the girl moved her hand away as the pain subsided. "Okay, whew…time to get flying."

Turning around, the girl walked back to the entrance of the cave, stopping only when she reached the mouth of the entrance, leading out to the darkened forest. Closing her eyes to concentrate her spiritual energy, she began diverting it inward as best she could, trying to minimize her emission of reiatsu. Opening her eyes again, she glanced up to guide herself as she straddled her staff, body slowly rising in the air. Maneuvering to-and-fro, the purple-haired girl eventually broke the hedge-line of the forest giving her full view of the surrounding city. Taking one more glance at her soul pager, she turned herself towards the penance tower, the object of her obsession.

Gliding silently, the Vizard made her way over unbeknownst to the death gods below.