Game 3 - Chapter 3

Zetsumei's eyes bugged open a little as he saw two high-ranking officers and a Captain bearing down on him. Instinctively, he turned and ran as fast as his feet would carry him.

"Wait!" yelled Toushiro. "Get back here!"

Zetsumei responded by running faster. He had no idea why he was being chased, but he knew deep down that he didn't want to get caught.

Toushiro turned to his Lieutenant. "Matsumoto!" he ordered. "Use your zanpakutou to slow him down."

Rangiku nodded and drew her sword. "Growl! Haineko!" Her blade dissolved into a cloud of ash that tore down the hall after the fleeing student.

Sasakibe turned his head with a start. "...Someone... just released a zanpakutou?" Nanao nodded at the headmaster. She could feel it too. A worried look crossed the First Division Lieutenant's face. "Take care of things here," he said, heading for the door. "I'll investigate and be right--"

He opened the large auditorium doors. And stopped short.

The entire foyer outside the auditorium was smeared in bright pink paint.

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Zetsumei turned a corner, breathing hard and sweating. The Lieutenant's scatter ash attack had barely missed him, and the boy was terrified. They're... they're... really trying to kill me! He tried to calm down and think of a solution, the school's front doors weren't too far away...

The sound of deep growling over Zetsumei's shoulder interrupted his train of thought. Rangiku's cloud of ash had formed itself into the shape of large, grey tiger, floating in the air and staring down at the boy menacingly, about to strike. Zetsumei had no idea that Haineko was a disabling zanpakutou, not a lethal one, and tore for the exit in a fit of adrenaline. My only hope is to get out of the school...

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Byouko Kuroda stared upwards. The wall in front of her was shoes. Boxes and boxes of shoes stretching all the way up to the ceiling for what seemed like a kilometer. "So! What kind of shoes do you like?" Sarah said squeakily, approaching from behind. Byouko remained silent, astonished by the wall of shoes in front of her. Who ever would need so many shoes?

"Well... alright!" Sarah smiled, pulling a pair of silver pumps from the wall. "How about these?"

"No," Sachi interjected suddenly. "I think she'd look better in black stilettos. She...," Sachi trailed off, realizing what she was saying. "I mean... with her.. leg structure and posture and...," her face turned red. "Ok, I'll shut up now."

Sarah's face looked like it would explode with happiness. "You're right!" she squealed. "I had no idea you knew so much about fashion, Sachi!"

Indeed, this was bringing back far too many memories, and Sachi was kind of getting into the shopping despite herself. "You... think so?" she said, scratching her head. "Also, black shoes'd go better with that dress she picked out."

"I agree," said Sarah, all down-to-businesslike, snatching a pair of black very high heels off the shelf. "And these silver ones would be good on you," she tossed Sachi the pumps in her other hand.

"Thanks," said Sachi. "And there's a pair of leather-strapped blue ones there that would go great with your outfit."

Sarah squeaked again. "Yes! They're perfect!" She grabbed them, and then grabbed Byouko. "Alright, we're making good time, ladies. On to the makeup counter! What do you think we should do for Byouko's makeup?"

Sachi shook her head. "She doesn't need much. Her eyes are dark and expressive enough. Definitely the focus of her face."

Byouko turned her head to stare at the other two girls apprehensively. For the first time in her life, she felt like a mouse instead of a cat, and she knew she was about to be pounced on and toyed with.

The cigarette Sachi had dropped back in the clothing department had barely started to smoulder when Sarah and Sachi triumphantly marched out of the store carrying armloads of boxes while dragging Byouko in the direction of the hair salon.

Satoko and Maka stared at the floor nervously and awkwardly. "Wheeeee!" Naomi broke the nervous tension by playfully and drunkenly hopping on Maka's back, waving a bottle of something in the air. "You really need to loosen up, Kassie!" she slurred. "Here!" Before Satoko's curiously amazed eyes, Naomi took a large mouthful of whatever liquor was in her hand, put her palms on Maka's face, and kissed her deeply.

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Freedom! Zetsumei said to himself as he scrambled outdoors into the night air.

"Matsumoto, call yours back," Toushiro said to her. The Lieutenant nodded and resealed her zanpakutou, the ash of Haineko flowing back and reforming into a metal blade.

"Stand back," Toushiro drew his sword and went out alone after the student.
"There's nowhere for you to run!" Toushiro called after him. Zetsumei looked back. The Captain was about to release his sword. He was totally screwed.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens!" Toushiro yelled. "Hyouri-huh?!"

The boy Captain turned just in time to parry a sudden sword strike from behind. Leaping down from the roof of the school, Ikkaku Madarame clashed his own sword against Hitsugaya's. "So!" said Ikkaku. "You're the terrorist!"

Toushiro's eyes shot open. "...What?!" With a slash, he drove Ikkaku back.

"Don't play innocent!" Ikkaku grinned. "I saw you chasing that poor student, about to kill him with that ice dragon of yours."

"You're wrong!" yelled Toushiro. "You're completely wrong! I--"

Ikkaku advanced menacingly at the Captain. "You know... I've been waiting a long time to do this. Smart mouthed little brat of a Captain."

Toushiro stopped talking. The veins started bulging in his forehead a little. "What... did you just call me?"

Ikkaku spat on the ground. "I called you a brat." His eyes narrowed maliciously. "And... you're short."

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At roughly the same time, a tremendous flash of energy lit up the woods behind the school, followed by the sound of a two-meter tall man in a red hat flying out of a clearing and smashing back-first into a tree.

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Byouko hated the place the second she saw it. The gaudy, oversized neon kanji adorning the room proclaimed it to be Byouin Biyouin (Cat Palace Beauty Parlour) next to a massive portrait of the stereotypical beckoning lucky cat, also trimmed with neon. The whole place was done up with a cat motif, the walls adorned with sickeningly cute cat artwork, and worst of all, the beauticians in the place all wore cat ears. And tails. And not much else - just black leotards and nekomimi. Byouko didn't know whether she should be amused or direly offended.

Before she could get too sick of the place, though, Byouko found herself tossed into a seat, leaned back, her head resting in a shampoo basin. Leering over her were Sachi and Sarah, looking slightly evil.

"So... what do you think we should do with her hair, Sarah?" Sachi grinned gleefully.

Sarah grinned equally, looking to Byouko like a 140-cm-tall demon. Slowly, she pulled a rubber glove over her hand. "I think," she stared down at Byouko, the glare on her glasses whiting out her eyes, "We need to give her... the works."

Byouko's blood froze.

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Anshou was exhausted, barely able to hold up his sword. He was bleeding from every inch of his body. He'd lost track of the number of cuts he'd gotten.

And Zaraki was lying flat on his back in front of him. For the first time, Anshou had actually managed to knock the Captain down.

"Heh... not bad," Zaraki said, pulling himself to his feet. "You've gotten a lot stronger, I can tell. But that'll be enough for today. Hey," he said to Yachiru. "Give us some healing."

Anshou sheathed his blade and turned to leave the hall as Yachiru's spell cured his wounds. He didn't say a word. He knew he'd gotten stronger, a lot stronger. But he also know that he wasn't anywhere near strong enough.

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Maka sputtered and spat, grabbing the bottle out of Naomi's hand and shoving the blue-haired drunkard off her back. That kiss had forced a lot of that liquor down Maka's throat and... Maka paused, licking her lips a little. It tasted good. Really really good. Kind of fruity and sweet... not alcoholic or burning at all. What is this stuff, anyway? Maka glanced down at the label: Midori Green Melon Liqueur. She smiled a little, feeling a little warm inside. Heh. Midori. Like the girl in our class. She looked up. Naomi had produced another bottle of alcohol and was seated across from Satoko, pouring both herself and the blond boy shot after shot of whatever it was, matching him drink for drink. Why the hell not? Maka shrugged. Maybe Naomi's right... maybe I do need to loosen up a bit. She raised the bottle of Midori Green to her lips and took a sip. It was delicious.

"Urgh," Keitaro grunted, setting the Kukaku Special down on the ground. The thing was heavy.

"A hat?" asked the mildly deranged Chiken, smiling down at the boy.

"Excuse me?" Keitaro replied.

"A hat!" Chiken picked up the Kukaku special and Held it on his head. "It is a lovely hat!" He turned and began skipping away in the direction they were going.

"Hey! Wait!" Keitaro and Orihime exchanged worried glances. Chiken carrying explosives? There's no way that would end well...

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Sachi blinked. Sarah blinked. The process was complete, and Byouko looked... different.

"Um, it... looks... ... ... nice?" Sarah said, smiling nervously.

"It's, um... ...," Sachi trailed off, glancing out the window. "I think we should go home now."

"Sachi... It... doesn't look THAT bad, does it?" Sarah looked for validation from her companion.

Sachi shook her head. "No... we should go home now."

Sarah looked out the window.

The clothing store across the street was completely engulfed in flames.

Sarah's eyes shot wide open. "We... should go home now."

Byouko said nothing. Her mind had long since disabled itself as protection against the horrors she had just experienced.

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Chiken stared off into the distance, his mouth open in a wide smile and wonderment shining in his eyes.

It was a birdy. A really big, pretty birdy, and its feathers looked like fire. It was an honest to goodness phoenix.

"Chiken-senpai, you... Hey!" Keitaro could see it too. "That looks like a fire! The shopping district's over that..." He paused, worried at the gleam in Chiken's eyes. "Er... look, Chiken-senpai... I know what you're thinking... actually, wait, no I don't. But taking a bundle of high explosives anywhere near a fire is a bad idea, and you could get seriously--"

Chiken couldn't hear him. The birdy was beckoning sweetly. Come and play, Chiken. Play with me. He could see into the birdy's world, how shiny and golden everything was, children happily playing everywhere on swingsets and slides made from candy canes and love.

He began walking toward the flame.

"Chiken-senpai..." Keitaro warned.

Chiken turned his head back for a moment and smiled. The promise of gumdrop mountains and the opportunity to play in the phoenix's magical world of shiny was too much for Chiken. "Your fingers look like fly swatters, Keitaro-san!" And with that random comment, he broke into a full run, racing at top speed toward the shopping district with the Kukaku Special held high over his head.

"Chiken-senpai!" Keitaro yelled, chasing after him with Orihime close behind.

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The nightlife district looked significantly more peaceful from the rooftops, Igarashi thought, sitting next to Rikiki, wondering what he should say. It was getting close to lights-out at the Academy, and Iga knew they should be getting back, but... he didn't want this moment to end.

As if intentionally trying to make Iga more nervous, Rikiki closed her eyes and leaned her head onto Iga's shoulder. "I'm getting... kinda sleepy," she smiled up at him, looking so cute that Igarashi thought his face would explode.

"Well... it's... uh... almost 10 o'clock," he said, his face almost as red as his hair. "And... um... I'm really sorry about all the freaking out I did earlier."

"It's ok," her voice was softer than normal. "And I'm sorry I spit whiskey all over you." She wrapped her arms around Igarashi's arm and squeezed. Iga could feel her chest pressed against his shoulder and started silently praying to any god that might listen that his nose wouldn't start bleeding.

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The street was completely evacuated, except for one person. Chiken stood not two meters from the blazing building, entranced by the multitudes of dancing flowers and butterflies and birdies that only he could see. Popping debris and sparks occasionally flitted from the fire, coming dangerously close to the Kukaku Special.

"Chiken!" Keitaro pleaded desperately from behind a parked palanquin, dropping the senpai honorific. "Step... away... from the fire. PLEASE!"

But Chiken couldn't hear him over the sounds of music. That once again, only he could hear. Everyone else heard them as the sounds of fire engines in the distance.

The demented grin on his hallucinogenic-mold-addled face growing wider and wider, Chiken lifted the Kukaku Special as high over his head as he could.

"IT'S MADE OF RAAAAINBOOOWS!!!!!!!!!"

And with a mighty toss, Chiken heaved the Kukaku Special right into the middle of the inferno.

"Oh shit!!" Keitaro screamed, racing out and grabbing Chiken's collar before running like hell in the other direction. "OhshitohshitohshitohshitohshitohshitohshitohSHIT!!!!!!"

The force of reiatsu was strong, swarming and flowing through the courtyard in front of the Academy as Captain Hitsugaya and Ikkaku Madarame clashed swords, crackling with energy.

"Look, you bald-headed moron, did your lack of hair freeze your brain? I'm not a terrorist!"

Ikkaku's eyes narrowed noticibly. "What was that?"

"I called you a bald-headed moron!" Toushiro yelled. "Sit upon the frozen heavens! Hyourinmaru!!"

He slashed his blade at Ikkaku, sending a stream of supercooled water at the Eleventh Division Third Seat. The blast hit Ikkaku square in the chest, driving him to the ground. When the dust cleared, Ikkaku was frozen solid to the ground, only his head and one hand protruding from the block of ice he was sealed into.

"Now look!" Toushiro commanded. "Who the hell called you here, and who said anything about a terrorist?!"

"Um...." Yumichika came around the corner, smiling sheepishly with his hand raised. "That was... my bad. Sorry, Ikkaku... There was just a vandalism incident... and... I guess we... could've let Fourth Division handle it?" He ran his hand through his hair.

Ikkaku glared at Yumichika, not amused.

"So you see," Toushiro kept ranting. "There's no reason for you to be here, no reason for you to be acting like a jackass, and no reason why I shouldn't be back in my Headquarters getting ready for bed! There are no Hollows, no monsters, and no terrorists!"

KER-BLAMM!!!!

The shopping district lit up like the Chinese New Year.

"An attack!" screamed Chojiro Sasakibe, running out the front door of the Academy. "We're under attack! All Shinigami to battle stations! Captain Hitsugaya, come with me!"

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Midori pushed her way through the woods. What the hell was that? The sound of explosions echoed through the trees, lighting up the ground around her.

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Keitaro stopped, gasping for breath. Impressively, he'd managed to put a full three kilometers between himself and the catastrophe before the explosion. Chiken hadn't said a word, and Keitaro figured that his mind was completely blown by the sight of the swirling colors tearing through the nighttime sky.

Sitting on the ground on the opposite side of the street were three girls, one with a skull-icon cap, one short one with glasses, and one... with a bag over her head.

"Hiya," Sachi said to Keitaro, waving a hand and taking a drag off a cigarette.

"Um... Hi," Keitaro sighed, looking up at the explosions in the sky. Now that they were out of life-threatening danger, he could safely say... Kukaku was right. It was a really nice show.

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Far away from the chaos of the Academy, there wasn't much of a shock when Igarashi and Rikiki looked up, seeing the fireworks going off. Iga wondered for a moment what they were for, probably some pre-Homecoming thing... But all thoughts soon leaked out of his head when he looked over at how beautiful Rikiki looked with the blue and red and green lights in the sky illuminating her soft face.

"Heheee, pretty," Rikiki smiled.

"Yeah, you a...," Iga bit his lip. "Er, they are."

Rikiki looked up at him, her eyes shining. "You know... Fireworks can be kind of... romantic. Don't you think?"

Igarashi's heart was pounding. The blood was foaming in his ears. He didn't know what he was doing, just moving completely on instinct an emotion. Rikiki was right. The fireworks made the evening seem... so right. And what happened next so much better.

Slowly, Igarashi put his arm around her. She turned her body and held him back. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes.

And Igarashi and Rikiki shared their first kiss in the light of the fireworks' glow.

If Sydney had walked into the room at that moment, two things would have crossed his mind. One, is Matsuura dead? And two, why the hell is he on my bed.

To Matsuura however, neither mattered. For at that moment, Matsuura's subconscious decided it didn't like him anymore. It decided that he shouldn't be allowed the rest he thought he very much deserved. Although it would be hard to say if it was all his subconscious's doing or if Ikiwazura played a part as well. He did however watch on as Matsuura suffered through the nightmare, a bleak expression across his face.

The day had been a remarkably sunny and peaceful day, which filtered into Matsuura's memories as everything being bathed in a white light. He had thought up until then that his double life was safe, secure. He had taken every possible precaution to make sure no one knew. Not even Akeno knew. And ultimately, that is what cost him the most dearly. He had just slid open the front door when he heard the weeping. It was Kaiko, weeping. He rushed through the house in a panic, trying to find her. He slid open the door to Akeno's room and found her there, cradling her younger brother's body, covered in his blood, a bright crimson over the white light. He had only been out to market for an hour, purchasing herbs to help with Akeno's ailments, dropping the bag at the sight before him, his entire body tensing up as he froze.

Kaiko turned to look at Matsuura, tears in her eyes, managing to stammer. "They...they killed him" between sobs.

"Who?! Who did this?!" He shouted angrily, taking a few steps forward.

"This is all your fault!" She screamed at him, shifting from mourning to rage, getting up as if to defend Akeno's lifeless body from Matsuura. "It's your fault he died!"

"Wh-what?!" Matsuura took a step back in surprise.

"They killed him instead of you! You were the one they were supposed to kill!" She pointed an accusing finger at him. "I know who you really are! I told them! I told them so they would get rid of you! I told them so Akeno would be safe! This is all your fault!"

The memories blurred her, the focus was on Akeno, laying there in bed, half covered in crimson, the other half in white. The memories turned the focus back to Kaiko as Matsuura snapped not only his restraint, but also her neck. It was easy, effortless, like taking candy from a baby. But it did not sate his anger over Akeno's death.

Ikiwazura watched as all of this played out before him, his own thoughts troubled as he looked back to see the flames slowly spread to the other side of the road.


KER-BLAAM!!!

The explosion snapped Matsuura awake as he fumbled about in a daze, drawing his sword and looking around bleary-eyed, his breath short and hard, sweat on his brow.

"What the hell was that?"

He sheathed his sword and peered out the window, seeing some huge lightshow going off in the shopping district.

"The hell? SHIT! RUMIKO!"

He fumbled to put on a new set of robes before rushing out the door and sprinting towards the Auditorium, sliding over the slick floor now colored a vibrant pink in front of the open door. He saw the students standing around confused and abandoned by their instructors, the place only half finished for tomorrow. He ran to Rumiko, grabbing her and forcefully dragging her away.

"We need to go now, I don't know what the hell that was but we're getting away from it." He explained, pulling her out of the Auditorium and leaving the others.

Rikiki and Iga didn't see Satoko stumbling out of the bar just then, Naomi's arms around his shoulders, leaning on him for support.

"Osake, osake, osake wo nomimasu!" they sang, both slurring and completely off key.

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About half an hour later, and the fire was out. Toushiro floated high above the scene of the blaze, his Bankai active and ice armor wrapped around his body, five diamond petals still intact behind him."Any sign of a source?" asked Sasakibe, supervising the cleanup.

"Not yet, sir," said a nearby Shinigami, a fire mask over his face. "But we did find this." He handed Chojiro a half-destroyed metal dome. Through the charred blackening, he could make out KUKAK... ECIA... inscribed on the side.

He sighed loudly. "Shiba," he growled.

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Midori sighed, mulling over the events of the past. The explosions in the distance had long since subsided, and Midori was alone in the darkness and still of the night, her head still not entirely clear. She was in no hurry to get back to school, but she found herself there anyway, peering through the leaves at the courtyard.

Well... guess I should get some sle--

"I'm against it!"

Midori jumped. There was someone else there, in the woods.

"It's not a problem," answered another voice, a woman's voice. Instinctively, (assassin's training, she wondered), Midori hid herself flat against a tree, her back to the sound of the voices.

"We don't need to bring that freak Ximenez in on this!" the first voice insisted. "He's unpredictable, and he'd be a liability."

"He's powerful and he can be controlled," the woman's voice rebutted. "And if he tried to betray us, well... we'd easily be able to destroy him. Don't you agree?"

"Quick-sama," the first voice said. "Surely you can't agree with--"

"We'll bring him in," said a third voice. A cold, decisive voice. Midori listened intently.

"I think Ximenez would gladly support our plan. He seems to be the type who likes destroying order. And he'd be a powerful asset to have on our side."

"But Quick-sama," said the first voice. "He's..."

"And... she's right, if he were to betray us...," Midori could hear the malice shining like a cold dagger in the third person's voice. "I'll kill him. It's no big deal. I'll contact him after the Homecoming ceremony tomorrow."

"I can't agree with that, Quick-sama! He's--"

"Are you... defying me?"

There was a pause. "...No, Quick-sama."

"You swore your fealty to me, correct? If it wasn't for me, that Hollow three years ago would have turned you into a stain on the ground, correct?"

"...Yes, Quick-sama."

"And you believe in me, correct? And my ideals?"

Another, longer pause. "...Yes... Quick-sama."

"Good." The third voice softened noticably. "Now... don't kneel on the ground like that. You don't need to, old friend. Soon, very soon. Once Soul Society belongs to me, you'll be handsomely rewarded. As will the two of you. Now... Let's go back. Remember, there'll be nobles and guards everywhere tomorrow. Keep yourselves unsuspicious."

Midori's eyes shot open. A... plot? Against Soul Society? She had to... who was there talking? The voices, all of them were familiar, so familiar, but she couldn't see any faces or even silhouettes in the pitch blackness of the forest. Were they... teachers? Or students? Were they in her class? Or another class?

Come on, Midori! Think! It was right on the tip of her mind... It was...

A sudden pang shot through Midori's head, making her fall to her knees and clutch her eyes. She gasped out loud.

I... see... So... you can't kill anymore?

Do what you want to me, father. I've made up my mind. If you think I've betrayed the Triads, then I'm prepared to face the punishment.

It was a memory... but... why now? Why... she hadn't even asked Onorinowai anything. But... her zanpakutou's words echoes in her ears, as if to answer her confusion. "The key hassss turned, the gate issss opened."

Midori struggled to her feet, the pain in her head subsiding. The gate was open, she sighed. And things tend to come out of an open gate unexpectedly.

Her train of thought, as well as any hope of identifying those suspicious and familiar voices, gone, Midori drew herself up and dashed back toward the womens' dormitories.

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Ryouichi Kanue shut the door to his room, hoping nobody had seen him skulking through the halls of the Academy at this time of night. Chiken wasn't there, thank heavens. Kanue had planned on something to tell the idiot should he ask questions, but this saved him the trouble.

He glanced down at the large, paper bag in his hands, smiling at the plan he'd formulated in his mind for tomorrow. Tomorrow would be an interesting day indeed.

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Ikkaku sighed, hoping someone would eventually come and get him out of this goddamn ice. "Doesn't this shit ever melt?!" he screamed out to the stars.

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Morning came, the sun rising slowly in the east, beating down hard on the windows of the north wing. "Nng..." Satoko groaned, the sun shining hard on his face and a dull ache behind his closed eyes. What the hell, he thought. The sun never came through the windows like... His eyes suddenly shot open. He sat up.

He wasn't in his room.

He glanced around, trying to get his bearings, a mild hangover pounding at the back of his head. He had no idea where he was, how he got here. And, moving his legs, under the bedsheets, he came to the realization that he wasn't wearing any clothes.

"Mmmm...," came a noise to Satoko's left. Slowly, he turned his head.

There was someone else in the bed with him. Someone who seemed to be as without clothes as he was.

Satoko blinked. All he could see was a bare back, but he could tell from the smooth skin and the curves of the body that it was a lady, though her head was buried under the pillow. But... who could it be? Satoko scratched his head. The last thing he remembered was drinking with Naomi at the bar and--

His eyes shot open. No. No, it couldn't. Slightly alarmed, he turned his head to look at the nameplate on the bedframe:

Oxen, N.

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There came a sudden knock on Rumiko's door. Yawning, she dragged herself out of bed opened it. "The hell you want, it's seven in the--"

Standing there was Kanue, looking groomed and chipper, holding something in his hands.

She shut the door in his face.

Seven minutes later, with her hair combed and teeth brushed, she opened the door again.

"Good morning," Kanue smiled, holding up a record album that said Famous Waltzes by Joseph Haydn and Property of Y. Ayasegawa written under the title in beautiful calligraphy. "Up for a dancing lesson?"

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Sachi rolled over in bed. She needed a cigarette. Putting on her slippers, she crept across the room, trying not to wake Byouko (God, Sachi felt sorry for what she'd done to Byouko) and opened her door.

In front of the door was a package.

Curiously, she opened it. Inside was a large green glass bottle. Kamizake Shouchu Liquor - 130 Proof. And a note. "I'm sure you'll know what to do with this. Let's make a memorable Homecoming dance!"

She grinned from ear to ear.

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Satoko reached over and touched the other person's shoulder, trying to think of something to say to her. He couldn't remember anything about last night and...

"...Um... good morning?"

She stirred a bit, and then sat up with a start, instictively holding the sheet up over her chest, the pillow over her face flying halfway across the room.

And Maka and Satoko looked at each other blankly.

The sudden sound of Naomi throwing up in the adjacent bathroom didn't do anything to make the moment less awkward.

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Sasakibe swallowed hard. The shopping district was barred off (that investigation would have to wait for tomorrow) and the Academy was ready. He lifted his hand to his face and materialized a Hell Butterfly.

"Open the gate," he said, before sending the Butterfly on its way.

Homecoming day had arrived.

EXP GET!

Brown, Rikiki (ブラウン 力子) - +150
'Duggo' (ダッゴ) - +30
Inoue, Orihime (井上 織姫) - +70
Kasahara, Maka (笠原 マカ) - +120
Kazenosei, Chiken (風の声 知見) - +130
Kanue, Ryouichi (感植 良一) - +120
Kijou, Ashibue (鬼女 笳) - +90
Kijou, Hikari (鬼女 光) - +120
Kokubunji, Daisuke (国分寺 大輔) - +30
Mizukin, Anshou (水銀 安椄) - +100
Oxen, Naomi (屋専 女臣) - +100
Sakimoto, Igarashi (前東 毬羅賜) - +140
Takeshi, Satoko (武 賢子) - +140
Tenkawa, Junshirou (天川 淳四郎) - +90
Yuansuzaku, Midori (優暗朱雀 果取) - +90
Zetsumei, Oushou (絶命 王将) - +70

Adachi, Rumiko (敵薙 留美子) - +100
Arikosu, Kazu (天越 和手) - +30
Daichi, Akara (大地 愛方) - +30
Kuroda, Byouko (黒田 猫子) - +150
Oyashio, Sachi (親潮 さち) - +110
Ryou, Matsuura (竜 松浦) - +110
Yadoumaru, Sarah (矢胴丸 サラ) - +150

Kasahara was peacefully slumbering up until she felt the bed move shift and heard a soft moan next to her. She didn't make too big of a deal out of it, thinking that it was Rikiki that bumped into her bed by accident. The brunette tried to go back to sleep, believing it to be too early to do anything. Her head was aching, making her limbs feel heavy and her thoughts groggy from the alcohol last night.

Suddenly she felt someone touch her shoulder. The brunette stiffened under the sensation of someone touching her bare skin but continued to lay still. She thought that she must've gotten undressed last night before going to bed. Kasahara couldn't remember much of what went on so she reasoned that she had to have been too drunk to change into her night clothes. Nothing to be alarmed about. "...Um... good morning?"

What.

The voice was far to deep to be Rikiki's and sounded alarmingly familiar. She jolted right up and turned her head to face the owner of the voice. Takeshi. There was an awkward silence between them followed by the sound of Noami vomiting in the background. Everything seemed to register slowly for her. She is naked. Takeshi is naked. They're in bed. "DON'T LOOK AT ME!"

Kasahara shrieked loudly as she pressed the sheets she held up against her small breasts. Why was he in bed with her? Why was he naked!? Tears welled up in her eyes in both embarrassment and fear as she took the pillow behind Takeshi and shoved it against the side of his face. Did he see her naked? Why is he here? She couldn't remember anything from last night but hoped that they didn't do what she assumed they did. The frantic brunette stopped pushing the cushion against the blond and took a peek down at her own naked body. There weren't any hickeys or see any signs off a sexual encounter but she still believed the worst has happened. She tearfully whispered to herself in misery. "No one will marry me now."

Igarashi got up from his bed with a unusually relaxed yawn. Yesterday's events had been no doubt pretty odd and mixed for the most part, but at the end of the day, it all seemed to have fallen into place, making the rest feel as if was easily worth it. It had taken him quite some time and thought to come in terms to what he felt towards Rikiki. But now that he did, it felt as if he had gotten rid of one of the big burdens on his head, and he was damn happy about it. Relaxed as he was, he went trough his usual waking up routine of taking a bath, cleaning himself, and taking his clothes on. It was only after he did all this, that he noticed that Satoko's bed was empty. This felt a bit odd, considering that Satoko had finally established himself in the room for about a week. Maybe he was feeling nostalgia and went to sleep in the outdoors again?.... Nah, that's stupid. Igarashi quickly shrugged that idea off. But that only made him wonder more as to were he had gone since yesterday. After all, when he returned to the academy with Rikiki last night, he along with Kasahara seemed to have left already.

After a few moments pondering about all that. Igarashi decided that there was no use in worrying about it for now, since he couldn't do anything about it anyway. And Satoko was pretty capable of taking care of himself, or so Igarashi hoped. So he would no doubt probably see him once the day advanced more. Leaving his room, Igarashi went to the cafeteria to grab a quick bite, after all, he had barely eaten anything since yesterday's evening. While he ate his breakfast, Igarashi began to think of what he should do for today... He froze. Ever since he went to the bar, he had completely forgotten about the day it was today. The relaxed demeanor Igarashi had until now suddenly broke. His back tensing as his face turned into an expression of dread and worry, though anyone seeing him at me moment would surely think that it was because he didn't like the taste of the piece of toast he had bitten at that right moment.

Shit! Shit! Shit! Igarashi cursed inwardly as he got up from the table and quickly bolted from the Cafeteria, leaving the rest of his breakfast unfinished. He had now realized how little he was looking forward to Homecoming in general, and now it was worsened by the fact that he had grew even more ond of Rikiki.... And that he would have to fight her today. Right after he had kissed her yesterday! Igarashi groaned, now he had successfully managed to make himself become more conflicted about that fight. And for the cherry on top, the dance. A lovely ceremony where he would have to invite her to dance just after fighting with her a few hours earlier. Just perfect way to express your love for someone! Kiss her, then beat the shit out of each other, then dance with he- Shit! the dance lessons! Yet another thing Igarashi had forgotten about, he still had one lesson left to have With Ayasegawa-sensei, and though it was still morning, he had no idea if he was already late. Bolting away from the cafeteria, he quickly ran and made his way towards the same classroom he had met him a week ago. Regaining his composure as he arrived to the door of the classroom. Igarashi too a deep breath, then slowly slid the door open.

Sachi pulled the box into the room and quickly stuffed it under her bed, where it was quickly camouflaged by swords, magazine, a couple of books she'd swiped from Byouko to read during SL&P (Though Byouko seem to have rather bland and decidedly non-risque taste in books much to Sachi lament), dirty laundy, dirty dishes, and a wooden crate labeled "Sachi S." in her own slighty wobbly calligraphy.

Even if some one did find the liqour, it would take a couragous soul to go under there after it.

It was good start to the day, Sachi thought chewing on toothpick to make up for the lack of ciggerettes on her person. Even the black dress and all the decorative bits and bobs that went with it looked more friendly in the morning light. She still couldn't imagine wearing it in public though. The fact that it fitted so well made her feel a bit exposed when she wore the darn thing. Ah well, mabe she'd through a blouse or tunic something she had been forced upon her when she'd left for school.

Ah well, that was a matter for later wasn't it? Becuase today was the day! The tournement was upon them, and for sport, for glory, and for hacking the supposedly advanced class to peices, Sachi could hardly wait. When she won ( becuase the thought the she might not had yet to cross her mind) then she could watch the other class go at it. Frankly looking at line up, it was hard to decide what battle she wanted watch, though if the rumours where true Ximenez verses anyone, promised to be interesting.

And now that her delivery was safely stashed away, the dance portion of the day promised to be at least to be somewhat tolerable. With a yawn, she tucked her unbrushed hair under her cap, and shuffled out into the hall. She breifly considered going back to change out of her nightdress into her uniform, but no one was likely to be up this early, though she thought she heard sounds coming from 315.

Thats wasn't her destination though, and she stopped in front of the next door '316'. "Four-eyes-chan!" She said rapping on the door, "Oi, Sarah. Get up! I want to ask you something."

Kazu has been training during the period prior to the tournament, absent from the remainder of the academy, while promoting what little he could of his ideas to those who live in the rukon district.

As usual, it was the kids who watched him more than the adults, but there were a few, and some who tried to train alongsite the bullheaded avatar. Kazu enjoyed the outdoor life, and the training, but he would soon have to return to the academy in time for the tournament.

It took the average person approximately 30 minutes to walk up the seven-kilometer road from Seireitei's south gate to the front courtyard of the Academy. That is, provided that this average person wasn't distracted on the way. And, on Homecoming Day, distractions were abound and aplenty on this normally deserted and peaceful, wide, forest-lined pathway.

It was the closest Seireitei ever came to holding a festival - hundreds of booths advertising hundreds of exotic foods and dishes and swords and fancy clothing and souvenirs and everything else littered the road to the Academy. Overhead, an enormous banner read WELCOME CITIZENS OF SOUL SOCIETY as throngs of people from all corners of the nation swarmed, converged, and bathed in the extravagant sights.

It was all propaganda, though, and Chojiro Sasakibe knew it. Apart from the small, cheap knick-knacks and souvenirs, there was nothing down there a commoner could afford. The food booths would hand out free samples, strictly one per person, just enough to let the masses of Rukongai taste a little bit of the high life, and not a drop more. The women could ogle beautiful dresses, and some of the more generous clothiers would even let them feel a bit of the fabric, but perish the thought of trying one on. Everything was just a show. Still, it was enough for most, Chojiro sighed. This little nibble of nobility kept them placated like sheep and ensured a steady stream of young and able bodies into the Academy.

He laughed a little at the hypocrisy of it all every year, watching friendly merchants smiling widely as they gave out pieces of takoyaki and dango to astounded country folk from the post-fiftieth districts, knowing full well that those same merchants would never even consider for a moment serving any mere commoners on any other day of the year, even if those commoners could afford the meal. Chojiro knew this all too well in fact. He'd been the victim of that same prejudice 700 years ago when he'd first come to Seireitei.

The nobles , the real nobles, never deigned to associate with the Homecoming Festival at all - why bother? Everything, and more, available at the Festival was at the nobles' disposal any day of the year. Except... in recent years, some had taken to showing off their wealth and prestige to the visiting commoners (and to each other) by marching up the Academy Road on enormous horse-drawn floats and hand-carried palanquins, letting all observing ooh and aah over just how rich they were. Chojiro called this the "Parade of Families."

It truly is a marvel just how little things have changed in seven hundred years, Chojiro shook his head. No... more like seven thousand. He wondered, offhandedly, what the student of the Academy were doing right now. It was still six hours until the tournament. Surely some of them were in the Festival crowd right now enjoying the party, just like everyone else was. Some of them had probably even met up with their families - this was the only chance all year that any Academy student born in Rukongai ever got a chance to see his or her family. Some of the more noble students were probably preparing to join their families in that blasted Parade as well...

"Are you alright, sir?" Nanao said, standing behing the Headmaster. Unlike Chojiro, Nanao did come from a noble family, though the Ise were fairly lowly-ranked and ill-reputed, so she certainly did not have any love for the noble power structure either.

"I'm fine, Nanao," Chojiro cast his yellow eyes over the crowd once more. "Come, we need to make sure everything is in order for the Tournament."

Sarah smiled at her outfit in the mirror, when a knock came on the door.

"Four-eyes-chan! Oi, Sarah. Get up! I want to ask you something."

Sarah turned her head. That was Sachi, but what did she want this early in the morning? Sarah went and opened the door, still smiling. "Hi Sachi!"

Sachi didn't answer right away, probably thanks to exactly what it was that Sarah was wearing. She was wrapped head to toe in a full-length formal kimono decorated in a summer flower pattern of blue and gold, complete with thick blue traditional sandals. Her face was painted powder white, and her hair was tied in a bun on the top of her head with traditonal hair sticks, also blue. To top it all off, her face was painted white, all in all the image of the traditional Japanese beauty. Her glasses were off, and she squinted a little before taking them from the inside of her kimono and putting them on.

Sarah giggled. "Sorry about this outfit, my mom and dad wanted me to ride with them on the Yadoumaru family float when the drive up the street to the school this year. They're doing a traditional summer theme, so...," she put her arms out and showed her kimono off to Sachi. "How's it look? Hey, do you want to come and watch?"

Yumichika looked extremely out of sorts when Igarashi stumbled into his room. He was a full ten minutes late but Yumichika didn't seem to notice, just kept staring at his shelves of record albums with his hands on his hips, looking very upset.

Igarashi was about to bow and apologize for being late. But looking at Ayasegawa-sensei, he didn't even appear to notice him. It was obvious something was bothering him, for a second, Igarashi was tempted to turn around and let him be... but no, he couldn't back out now, he had already got this far in the classes, but he still needed a bit more practice. Taking a few steps forward, Igarashi leaned a bit to see what was exactly in front of the teacher. "Excuse me... Ayasegawa-sensei... What's wrong?"

"How dare they!" Yumichika thundered, raising his fist in the air. "That... scoundrel! That... that THIEF! I've been robbed, that's what's wrong! Someone's gone and absconded with my prized copy of Haydn's Famous Waltzes! It was right here!" He pointed at his shelves, crammed to bursting with albums. "Right between his Eight Pieces and his Fantasia Capriccio for Piano in C."

Igarashi wondered how Yumichika could possibly have noticed *one* album missing among the thousands on his shelves.

"I... I..." Yumichika put the back of his hand to his head. "Oh, Sakimoto-kun? Who would be so... insensitive as to wound me so? I... think I need to lie down. I'm feeling a little faint."

Sachi made a face as if she had just been force-fed a whole lemon. "The Parade?" She repeated, "No offense, but watching of rich families show off is not my really my scene at the best of times. It will be a three ring circus, of greed and over indulgence out there."

Sachi paused for a moment, fiddling with the toothpick in her mouth. As much as she would love to have as little to do with the parade as possible, Sarah was the closest thing Sachi had to a friend this year. As much as Sachi thrived on conflict (Her notebook still had "Distroy Rumiko Adachi and all she holds dear" penciled in as a goal for the term), it hadn't totally sucked hanging out with Sarah and Byouko yesterday.

"Uh, I guess I'll fallow you down to see the festival I guess. I'll goof around the stalls, and buy snacks or something while and leave the red carpet type things to you." Sachi said reluctantly. "I suppose I should change into something decent as well."

Two days in a row, of actively trying to find something pretty to wear, really what her life becoming?

Speaking of which "Oh yeah. I don't know if you or Byouko have dates, but I sure don't. I figure that we should all enter the dance togeather. I mean as long as we are going to be looking "glamorous" or what the frig ever, we may as be dramatic about it." Sachi said as she trotted back towards her own doorway. Vaguely she wondered if perhaps she should warn Sarah and Byouko to be weary of the punch tonight. "Well, think about it anyway.I'm going to change."

Nnnng. Morning already?

Amidst the haze and blur of waking from restless sleep, Midori managed to fight her way to at least an upright position. Her dreams had been haphazard and restless; the lowering of the boundaries between the various portions of the mind that happens naturally during sleep had done little to restrain the occasional random flash of lost, forgotten memories from invading her thoughts. Combined with the relative chaos of the night before, up to and including whatever conspiracy she'd stumbled onto involving people trying to recruit the vampire, and it made for a grade-A morning hangover, completely authentic-feeling without a drop of sake involved - all the pain for none of the profit.

Sleeping was going to be difficult for a while.

Whatever had caused those explosions last night, it must have been dealt with before she got back or not been a big deal to begin with; the academy and dormitories, at least, were all in one piece, and Shinigami weren't running around like mad trying to deal with an attack so it seemed fair to guess that everything was as per normal.

She dressed and gathered her belongings, stopping long enough to give herself a once-over in the mirror before leaving her room. A memory of the night before, a chance moment of being in the right place at the right time... or would it be wrong place at the wrong time?... that was amusing and disturbing in equal amounts, and likewise gave her a reason to want the headache without the sake. Whatever Satoko and Kasahara had been up to last night, it was sure liquor was somehow involved.

Still... it couldn't hurt to check up on them. Chances are their hangover would be on par with hers. And she had a few hours before she needed to be anywhere... although she wanted to catch up to Daisuke some time before that, it was still quite early in the morning. She headed towards the room in question and paused in front of the door. It was late enough they should be up already, and if they weren't... well, that's what apologies were for, wasn't it? She rapped on the doorframe a few times and leaned against the wall, waiting for a response.

"Lizard queen," she muttered under her breath, snickering slightly.

Chiken's brain was completely and utterly fried. The fireworks sent him into a sort of sensory overload and his brain basically shut down. He 'woke up' on the floor of some room with major confusion and a painful headache. He didn't actually wake up because he never fell asleep, he just broke out of his total brain shutdown. Majorly disorientated, Chiken slowly sat up and looked around. He was on the floor of someone's room, but he was the only one there. He spotted the nameplate on a bed but couldn't get everything to come into focus enough to read it. Confused and a little angry because of the headache, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Upon opening his eyes, he saw two things. The first was that the nameplate said Suzuhashi, K and the second was the same floating trail of color-changing stuff that Chiken had seen yesterday - not that he remembered yesterday, of course. He had no clue who the nameplate meant, but the floating trail certainly piqued his interest. He pulled himself up off the floor and swayed a little. He was unsteady on his feet but that didn't stop him from opening the door and following the trail of ether once more.

The trail led Chiken up a flight of stairs and around for a while before passing through another door. Chiken looked at the nameplate on the door in puzzled wonder: it was his door. Mystified, he opened the door and went in. Chiken didn't look to see if Kanue was still asleep in his bed because his attention was drawn elsewhere. The trail ended right on Chiken's bed, right over Myounahanashi. Chiken never remembered taking off his sword and leaving it there, but he never remembered anything so it didn't trouble him. He stumbled slightly as he walked over to his bed. Silently, he leaned over and grabbed the sword by its binding. Without a second thought, he put it through its usual loop on the robe at stared at it. Instantly, the ethereal trail dissipated, and at the same time Chiken heard a faint voice that instantly brought a smile to his face. "Well, there you are."

Smiling the whole time, Chiken sat on his bed and listened to Myounahanashi. He wasn't paying attention to her lecture about leaving her behind or whatever, he was just happy to hear her for the first time in a week. Once she was done scolding him, she encouraged him to get breakfast, to which Chiken's stomach replied with an agreeing gurgle. Without any more sound and with a lot better control of himself, Chiken left the room for the dining hall.

Rumiko did not want to be awake right now. She'd had trouble sleeping last night, waking up at least three times due to some rather odd dreams. The life she had left behind was haunting her again: bloodcurdling screams rang through her ears as though it had been twenty years earlier. Each wake up felt like an escape and a prison, echoes of memories playing through her mind as the shadows danced on the wall. Since departing that world, Rumiko had tried to block out some of the more gruesome memories, even if it was only to help herself sleep better at night. Repression did not seem like it would be working any longer.

Kanue had, at the door, not looked himself. His eyes darkened and his hair flattened and his chin dimpled in her sleep-hazed mind, making him look like one of the early ones. She had had to compose herself for a moment behind the closed door before getting ready for the day.

Opening the door again showed her that Kanue was nothing, no one, but himself, and that calmed her. "Up for a dancing lesson?" he asked.

She grinned, feeling much more at ease. "I didn't expect to be taking you up on this offer so early, but what the hell."

Seeing Rumiko's reaction, Ryouichi gave a small grin of his own. "Wonderful. We can get started now, if you feel ready." Suddenly his expression became pensive, as though he was just realizing an unforeseen problem. "Unfortunately, the owner of this," Ryouichi divulged, indicating the disc he was holding, "is probably going to be out for our blood soon." His eyes flickered briefly to the room behind her. "So, I hate to impose, but..."

One of the visitors to Seireitei that day looked a little unusual to the other Rukongai denizens who'd come to watch Homecoming.

"Oh dear me!" he exclaimed, the smell of yakitori reaching his sensitive nose. He snagged a stick of barbecued meat from a nearby vendor's tray. "Would you like one too, my dear Furiko?" The slight, middle-aged, smiling Japanese woman on his arm nodded and took one as well. The man practically inhaled the barbecued chicken from the stick and wiped his furry face with his paw. "Oh ho ho, that was delicious!" he said in a jolly, deep, booming voice that might remind some people of Santa Claus. Well... if Santa Claus had the head of a tiger.

The sights of Seireitei were something the tiger-headed man had never even imagined in his 430 years living way out in the 49th district of East Rukongai. Such smells and tasty food everywhere. His nose picked up another wonderful scent that made his whiskers twitch. "Fish!" he said out loud, rushing his large self over to another booth featuring seafood tempura. Of course, the vendor would only allow him, sadly, to take one piece, so the tiger-headed man picked one for his wife as well. "Here you go, Furiko, my dear," he said, letting his wife eat the piece of fried fish from his paw.

A whistle sounded, and the tiger-headed man spun around, crumbs of fish batter stuck in his furry face. The avenue at the center of the festival cleared way. The parade of Nobles was about to begin.

Two small litters led the way, one carrying General Yamamoto and the other carrying Eighth Division Captain Shunsui Kyouraku, representing the noble houses of Yamamoto and Kyouraku, respectively. However, neither man had any other family to speak of.

The Yadoumaru clan, the Kyouraku clan's branch family, followed the two litters, with Sarah smiling and waving from the top of her family's float. The two clans had been associated for centuries, however, there was now quite a bit of enmity between Shunsui Kyouraku and the Yadoumaru clan since their daughter Lisa vanished 100 years ago while serving as Kyouraku's lieutenant. To make matters worse, Kyouraku appointed a girl from the Yadoumaru's mortal enemies, the Ise clan, as Lisa's replacement. Sarah's father Yusuke stood proudly waving as well, with his hand on his daughter's shoulder. With his bushy brown hair, broad shouldered stature, and thick black glasses, Yusuke Yadoumaru bore a startlingly uncanny resemblance to former 5th Division Captain Sousuke Aizen. Behind the Yadoumaru family float, a pair of young servant girls carrying baskets let cherry blossom petals loose into the air.

Next came the Kuchiki family. Sixth Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, the head of the great noble house, was carried in a small litter made of polished ebony wood carried by four servants, with Rukia, in full formal kimono, marched stately on the ground just outside the litter next to her brother, carrying a flag bearing both Sixth Division's diamond insignia and a camellia flower, the symbol of both the Sixth Division and the Kuchiki family. Behind them rode a great float carrying Byakuya's two uncles, Hakkei and Kyuorou, as well as Byakuya's six cousins. The Fujiwara family, the Kuchiki's branch family, followed close behind on a float of their own. The Fujiwara's leader, Usai Fujiwara, rode at the top next to his son, the second-youngest Judge on the Council of 46, Urou Fujiwara.

The Takagumi family rolled in next on a float drawn by a team of four horses. The Takagumi's status was of near-regal level, thanks to the Clan's leader, Akazura Takagumi, becoming Chancellor of the Council of 46. The Takagumi also did not permit any members of their family to serve within the Gotei 13, which further raised the opinion of the family among old-time nobles who still resented the power of General Yamamoto's thirteen squads. Akazura's wife, Ayumu, and his two sons, Akira and Adeyaka, rode at the top of the float with their father. The whole family was pale-skinned, with blue eyes and blond hair. Behind them came their branch family, the Tsukibana, whose leader, Noburo Tsukibana, was another of the five Judges on the Council of 46.

The Kasumiouji family arrived on a float painted pink in a floral pattern, similar to the kimono worn by the family's leader, Lurichiyo Kasumiouji, who rode at the top next to her fiance, Shu Kannogi. At the tender age of only 116, Lurichiyo was among the youngest family heirs in all of Seireitei. She looked to be a little girl of not even twelve, but carried herself in a royal manner befitting a person of her position. Though the Kasumiouji had lost much of their status after their previous leader had been revealed as a traitor to Soul Society, it was impossible to look at Lurichiyo and not think she was a good person who cared for her family and her people. Still, the Kasumiouji were one of the largest and most widespread families in Seireitei, encompassing two full branch families as well - the Ryusei and the Enkogawa. The leaders of the two branch families served as Lurichiyo's personal bodyguards and carried zanpakutou.

Kazuhara Kijou rode in on an obnoxiously large and gaudy float that was much too big for just one man. Kazuhara and his daughter (or did he have two daughters?) were not by any means the last of their clan - Kazuhara had two brothers and three sisters, and Hikari and Ashibue had a good many cousins, yet he rode alone atop his pyramid-like float of blue velvet laced with gold trim, grinning imperiously, dressed as an Egyptian Pharoah in matching blue and gold. The whole thing was carried by over fifty servants.

A cheer rose from the crowd as the Tenkawa family entered. The Tenkawas' float was just as large as Kazuhara Kijou's, but unlike the Kijou family, the Tenkawa family was large enough to fill it. The Tenkawa family was one of the oldest and most well-liked noble families in all of Seireitei and one of the few that supported the common people of Rukongai as well. The Tenkawa family boasted three members in the Council of 46 and several officer-level Shinigami. Akira Tenkawa, a jovial man of about 700 years old sat at the top of the float next to his wife and behind his seven children. Each of Akira's many grandchildren sat in line in front of their respective parents. Junshirou Tenkawa was on that float too, somewhere, his hair unusually neat and combed, seated in front of his father, Akira Tenkawa's third son, Mitsurou.

Behind this float came another float carrying the Tenkawas' own branch family, the Menashima family. Led by one of the five Judges of the Council of 46, Koutsu Menashima, this family held a very high status in Soul Society for a branch family, almost equal to the Tenkawa themselves. Indeed, throughout the two family's long shared history, there had been enough intermarriage and alliances that it would take a master genealogist to determine which clan was the main house and which was the branch. Koutsu Menashima was 436 years old and had three children.

Behind the Kasumiouji came the Sugiura family, not on a float at all, but marching in formation, befitting the clan's military background. The Sugiura rose from obscurity around the time of the First and Second Reckonings under the leadership of famed former 3rd Division Captain Kenzo Sugiura, making theirs one of the first noble families to rise from commoner roots with the help of the Gotei 13. Each member of the clan wore a single marigold on their robes, the symbol of both the Sugiura family and the 3rd Division with which the family had long been associated. The clan was currently led by five brothers, with the eldest, Itsurou, a strong and very well-respected man, at the head. The third and fourth brothers were both members of the Council of 46, and the second and fifth were both officer-level Shinigami. There was no sign, however, of any members of the Sugiura's branch family, the Ichimaru.

Following the Sugiura came the Fon family, albeit minus the family's leader, Second Division Captain Shaolin Fon, aka Soifon. As the Shihouin family's branch clan, the Fon enjoyed the same status as their main family for a short time after the Shihouin's last leader, Yoruichi, disappeared from Soul Society roughly a century ago. However, the past 100 years and the clan's association with the Special Ops Corps had not been kind to the Fon, as Soifon's parents and six brothers had all been killed on missions, leaving her as the sole heir to her family. It seemed, now, that there would be only two options for the future of the Fon family - either Soifon would marry one day and relegate the clan once again to the status of a branch family, or she would not marry and the clan would suffer a lineage dispute upon her eventual death. Both options were well in the future, though, as Soifon was still a very young lady, not even 300 years old yet.

Rolling in at the end was Keitaro Suzuhashi, bleary-eyed from his escapades last night, at the top of a float next to his father, Mataro, and his younger brother, Takahiro. His knees were wobbly under his formal robes, but he did his best to stand up straight. He knew he would already be getting a talking-to from his father for oversleeping and making his family's float last in the parade. Probably the same "Have you forgotten that you're the heir to the Suzuhashi family" lecture that Keitaro had gotten sick of 100 years ago.

As the final float rolled up the lane, the noon bell rang loud and clearly over the campus. Like magic, people shuffled from the outer courtyards and lanes into the Academy auditorium as if called by the siren's song of the bell. Merchants packed up their booths and tables and disappeared, leaving no sign that they'd ever been there. There would be no more business for them today.

"Let's go, Furiko, my dear," the tiger-headed man smiled to the lady on his arm and strolled with the crowd into the school.

I’m not really sure why everyone was chasing after me, or why Ikkaku attacked Toshiro. I think it might be best for me to find a place to hide. I’m tired from all of that running.

Zetsu found himself back in the familiar forest again.

I guess I’ll spend some time here until things cool down.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day of the parade, Zetsu did his best to slip into town. He donned a cloak in hopes of not being noticed.

This parade is amazing! I remember Sensei Kotetsu rambling on about the different divisions, but seeing them all march together like this is impressive! It really gives you a tangible idea of the scale of the divisions! Look at that military formation! This is all so great. I wish I could go back to the school now that homecoming has started. I don’t want Cardinal to think I chickened out on out fight. How can I convince them I didn’t do something when I don’t even know what they are after me for? There’s no one I can ask for help either…

*Sigh*

"I hope no one finds me..."

Outwardly, Junshirou Tenkawa was confident, calm, collected, and in all ways an ideal member of the Tenkawa clan.

Inwardly, he was very, very annoyed. This whole thing was all so... so fake. It had been what he'd been trying to get away from, in part. The Tenkawa family, loved throughout Seireitei; champions of the poor, powerful and influential members of the Soul Society elite, and their tears cured cancer or something like that, if you listened to some of their admirers. But here we are, he thought, flaunting our wealth in front of all these people, when we could be using it for good. And all this wealth, all this power, and what good was it? It was nothing compared to Soul Society as a whole. The influence of the Tenkawa family only extended so far, and that was not nearly far enough to change a thing... not Rukongai, not even the circumstances that had led to him being here.

The worst part was that it was all being exhibited here. All the gaudy hypocrisy of the Tenkawa family was plain to see here. Although it was true that the family had a reputation for helping the poor that most of the other families didn't have, they were still part of the oppressive system that kept the rich rich and the poor poor. And he was going to be seen as a part of it. Junshirou Tenkawa, the son who had done his best to run away and hide in the darkest depths of Rukongai to get away from the privileged life he had had, the son who was ready to renounce his family in order to save his friend, was on the float for all the eyes of Soul Society to see. He wondered what his fellow classmates would think if they could see him, in the midst of all the hypocrisy of his family. He wondered how he could ever look Anshou in the eye and claim to want to help the poor. He wondered what Kanue would be thinking at seeing this.

Junshirou surveyed the buildings. There were various places where it would be possible to hide, if it came to it. Alleys to squat in, walls that it would be easy to climb in a hurry. Hopefully it wouldn't come to it, but this would be a good place to try and escape to if he ever needed to get away in a hurry. A map in his head (he didn't have his notebook around at the moment, but it would be noted down at the first available opportunity), he cast his gaze towards the crowd instead.

It was the usual crowd of people who attended these events... old men and women, keen to see the traditions of Soul Society upheld. Young children, fascinated by the floats. Middle-aged merchants hawking their goods to anyone they could. Occasionally, street children, clothed in rags, would stare with contempt. There weren't many people around who were Junshirou's age, though, seemingl... wait, was that Zetsumei? He looked closer.

Yep, under that cloak, it was definitely Zetsumei. The green hair and golden eyes were recognisable anywhere. Hmm, this was an interesting turn of events. He obviously didn't want to be recognised, judging by the cloak... had he run away? Junshirou didn't blame him, having to fight that monster in the first round of the tournament, but it seemed out of character for Zetsumei to run away. Still, it was probably best not to mention it.

Junshirou reclined a little, and cast his gaze towards the other floats. The usual collection of nobles, dignitaries, and the like. Same old same old. Well, he'd have plenty of time to think about all of this later... right now, he probably needed to start strategising. He had a tournament to lose, and social circles to infiltrate.

Byouko Kuroda buried her head deeper under her pillow, hearing Sachi up messing around their room early that morning. The door slammed shut as her roommate left, and Byouko sat up, a sour look on her face. Last night had been somewhat less than her idea of fun. She turned her head toward her dresser mirror, hoping that the damage that had been done to her hair and face might look a little better in morning light. It actually looked even worse. Byouko wasn't sure how that was possible.

There's... no way I can go outside looking like this....

If there had been a day that Byouko wished she could stay in bed, it was today. And today was the one day she couldn't. Not because of the tournament, no. The tournament could go to hell. It was because...

The door suddenly opened and Sachi barged in again. Quickly, Byouko dove back under her pillow and blanket, pretending to still be asleep.

Mom and Dad were coming today. That was why Byouko had to get out of bed. Mom and Dad were coming to visit from Rukongai for the first time since she had started at the Academy.

And... why exactly do you want to see them again? Byouko asked herself.

It was a good question. She briefly considered faking sick, but that wouldn't work. Mom and Dad would be up here in three seconds. Especially Dad. The last time Byouko had gotten sick, her dad had actually donned a nurse's outfit, changed the cold towel on her head every two minutes, force-fed her tuna oatmeal, and actually stripped down naked and attempted to crawl into bed with her. Byouko shuddered. Yeah, that sort of thing was just fine for a little child... but Byouko had been 146 years old. And her fever wasn't that bad. The mind-scarring image of her mother dragging her naked dad from the room, limbs flailing, as he bellowed "No! I have to save my daughter's life!" would be with her for eternity. Byouko sighed. The last thing she needed was for Sachi to meet her parents.

Sachi left the room, again without a word, and Byouko crawled from under her covers. Dejectedly, she got dressed, same grey outfit and thick pink scarf she always wore. She paused in front of the mirror, thinking. She pulled her scarf off her neck and looked at it. A plan formulated in Byouko's mind. She folded her scarf in half, then folded it again, then again. She placed it behind her head, loose enough to cover most of her face, then tied the loose ends around her neck just like she usually did. Byouko looked over her handiwork in the mirror. It cramped her ears a bit, but her hopefully-not-permanently damaged face and hair were completely hidden. She smiled a little. No one could say that Byouko Kuroda was not resourceful. If she had to go out and see her family today, then hopefully she could avoid any more embarassment from showing off what Sarah and Sachi had done to her yesterday.

She took a breath and went downstairs to face the music.

It didn't take long for the music to arrive. Byouko was in the main hall of the school when the noon bell rang, and still no sign of Mom or Dad. In the crowd, no one seemed to notice the girl with a pink scarf over her head, not that Byouko was the type to be noticed at all, usually. Unless it was some cretin staring at her ears as if part-animal spirits were unheard of in Soul Society. I should wear something like this more often, she thought.

And then...

"BOOOOOOOOOOO-TAAAAAN!"

Byouko froze. There was no mistaking that deep bullhorn of a voice... and that stupid, childish nickname. Slowly, she turned.

Rushing toward her almost in slow motion, with arms wide open and a smile shining on his face, was her father. Two meters and two hundred kilos of half-man, half-white tiger. The ground shook with each step he took. Byouko flinched back a bit as he threw his arms around her and picked her up like a toy, nuzzling her with his whiskers.

"How's my widdle snookums darling babydoll cutiemuffin sweetiefuzzy pretty pretty widdle strawberry parfait kitty princess?"

"Dad... crushing... ribs...," Byuoko managed to choke out in reply.

"Torasuke, dear," Byouko's mom put her hand on her husband's arm. "I believe you're hurting your daughter."

"Oh?" Torasuke looked surprised, as if this had never happened before. "I'm sorry, dear." He set Byouko down. "Are you alright, kitten?"

Byouko took a deep breath, glad that all the air hadn't been crushed out of her lungs. "I'm... fine, Dad. And please... I've... told you not to call me Bo-tan anymore... especially in front of people." When Byouko had been a little girl of around 20, she'd had trouble saying her name - Byouko would come out of her mouth as Boko. This became Bo-tan, and the nickname had unfortunately stuck for the last 150 years. It didn't help that her father's voice was the sort that roared above any sort of background or crowd noise, always instantly making him the center of attention anytime he said a word.

"Awwww, my sweetie kittycakes is growing up, yes she iiiiiis," Torasuke's eyes were practically sparkling. "But you'll always be my widdle Bo-tan to me, give your Daddy some sugar, haven't seen you in three years!" He began kissing Byouko's forehead, and people really were starting to stare.

"Dear, I think you're embarassing her," Byouko's mother said.

"Aw, nonsense! There's nothing to be embarassed about, right, my widdle pumpkin berry muffin?" He suddenly stood up straight, putting one of his furry arms around Byouko's shoulder. "I don't care who knows it! I love my daughter!" His voice somehow rose even louder. "I'll shout it out to the world!" He raised his clenched paw into the air. "I love my cuddly wubbly snuggle bug cutie kitty princess, yes I do!"

The hallway was silent. Byouko hoped that, if her face got just a little bit redder, then she would spontaneously melt into a puddle on the floor. Even through the scarf over her head, her ears could hear the sound of people snickering.

"And what's with this hood you're wearing?" Torasuke went on. "Let Daddy see your pretty eyes." He reached for it with his big paw.

"No!" Byouko jumped back. "It's... um... I... my... ears just got sunburned... a little bit."

Torasuke clutched his chest and let out a gasp that most parents would reserve for something like I have eight compound fractures in my leg or I only have six weeks to live. "Are you alright? Do you need any aloe? Or any medicine? Or penicillin? Money's tight, but we can get to a hospital stay if you need one. Can't any of these teachers here treat it? Are you sure you don't want to come home and stay with Mommy and Daddy for a day? Or a week or two? Or a semester? Please, sweetie doll, talk to Daddy!" His big yellow eyes were tearing up, glistening with concern.

"I've... got... look, I'm fine, Dad." Byouko pulled the hood down further over her face. "Look... I've got to... go do... something. For the tournament. The headmaster's speech is going to start. I'll see you around."

She turned and scurried away from her parents as fast as she could go, but her father's voice followed her. "Good luck in the tournament, kitten! Be sure not to get huuurt! And write your Mommy and Daddy once in a while! We miss yoooou!"

Breathing heavily, Byouko dashed into the auditorium and scooted down to the row reserved for third-year students, pulling her hood down completely over her apple-red face, praying that no one from her class had heard. If she had to deal with getting called Bo-tan for the rest of her Shinigami career the way everyone back in the 49th District did, Byouko didn't know what she would do.

Akara woke up and stretched, it was an okay night, but yesterday all he ended up doing was sitting bed. Ones night tends to involve waking up a lot after getting around an extra six hours in the day. Either way, Akara was still energetic Akara enjoyed messing with people, he had been basically quiet for the most of the time he had been here, so today he decided to be extremely talkativ. Akara's hair was a complete mess, he didn't exactly enjoy brushing it, so decided to just wet it, dry it, leave it.

Akara procided to leave the room after the drying process, his hair looked okay now. The time was noonish, he fought, so he just walked downstairs. Every time Akara would pass someone he would joyfully chirp he the highest pitched voice he could do, "Hello!" It was fun to see how some people to react when they saw a boy sound like a nine year old girl. Akara continued to just proceed passing people with out a hello once his voice croaked from being to high pitched, sounding more like a six year old. Akara made it to the area for the third years, he saw a Byouko in a hood covering he face, wondering why, but no caring, Akara cleared his throat. He walked over to Byouko and sounding as creepy as possibly said "How do you do?" Akara then walked away and found a spot to wait far away from Byouko. He had forgotten about the dance.

(This epic post is the result of a big joint effort between me and Hikari with a LOT of help from Ashibue, who is the best writer ever ^_^)



Little Hikari Kijou held tight to her daddy's hand while cheerfully munching down a cherry-flavoured ice cream cone with the other, being as careful as a little girl could not to get any on her pink dress. The sun was shining and Hikari was happy. Any day she got to go shopping with Daddy made Hikari happy. Sometimes Mommy and Kage-chan came along, but it was always the most fun when Hikari got Daddy all to herself like today. So far they'd looked at animals in the pet store, pretty dresses at the clothing store, gotten lunch at a sidewalk cafe, followed by treats at an ice cream parlour. It always felt like the day would never end whenever Hikari was out with Daddy.

"Are you having fun, Hikari?" Kazuhara Kijou asked his little daughter.

"You bet, Daddy!" Hikari beamed.

"You've got a little on your face," Kazuhara whipped a cloth from inside his First Division uniform and dabbed a little stickiness from Hikari's cheek. "There we go. We've only got one more stop to make. Are your feet tired?"

Hikari shook her head.

"Good."

They left the Shopping District and turned a corner, leaving the main street and entering the shadows of a side road. Hikari had been in this part of Seireitei before, but she didn't like it much. She wanted to be back out in the sun. "Good day, Kijou-dono!" a man's voice said. It was someone in a luxurious outfit, probably one of Daddy's "Very Important Friends" as he always said.

"Ah, yes, good day to you as well." Kazuhara turned to the man and began conversing with him, a bunch of stuff that Hikari didn't care about, even if she could understand it. She just stood there with her ice cream cone, munching away. Most of the ice cream was gone now, and Hikari was down to the cone. She took a bite.

And a butterfly came by. "Ooh!" Hikari said out loud. It was a beautiful butterfly with black and purple wings that sparkled even in the shade. Forgetting her daddy, little Hikari took off running after it.

The butterfly was fast, flitting back and forth just out of Hikari's reach, and of course she wasn't watching where she was going and very unaware that she was approaching a bad part of town. The buildings looked fine, they were still in Seireitei after all, but the people inside them were of the sort that gave the wrong sort of attention to a little girl like Hikari.

"Hey, come back!" the butterfly suddenly floated up into the air, far out of Hikari's reach. She jumped up high, but it was no use. She sighed. And for the first time since running from her father, she looked around.

She had no idea where she was. It was a part of town that was unfamiliar to her. And there were people, ugly, scary looking people. Looking at her funny. Suddenly, Hikari felt very cold.

A shiver of fear went up her spine and she ran toward the first shelter she could find, a door covered only by a thick wool curtain. She pulled back the curtain and jumped inside. But inside was like nothing she'd ever seen.

It was like a zoo. Rows upon rows of cages, but instead of animals, the cages contained... people? Were they people? They looked like people, but why would someone keep people in cages? Curious, Hikari crept closer and peered through the bars for a better look. Most of them were filled with what looked like girls, older than Hikari, but not as old as Mommy, and some of them weren't wearing very much in the way of clothing, and had body parts showing that Mommy and Daddy had always said a Proper Lady should keep covered. Hikari wondered if they might be dolls or toys... none of the caged people-things spoke or moved much. Maybe they were Hollows. Hikari had heard of Hollows but she'd never even seen a picture of one.

"Um..." Hikari heard a sound, and she looked to her left. One of the people-things was staring at her, with its hands clutching the bars of its cage. Hikari looked back at this odd creature, which seemed to be about her age. It was undoubtedly not a girl like her, but somehow still strangely beautiful, thought it looked very sad. Its eyes were big and brown, but empty and lifeless, as if its soul had been drained out of its body. Its hair was shining and golden, yet tangled, unkempt, and slightly dirty. It wore a single piece tunic that opened at the bottom, showing its feet, and tied together in the front with three simple knots.

Hikari stared for a long time at this creature, not sure what to think or feel. It was certainly pretty. She wondered what it was.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Startled, she looked up. It was her father, looking very cross. "Come. Hikari. You shouldn't be here." He began dragging her forcefully to the exit.

"But Daddy..." Hikari started.

"This isn't a place for little girls."

"But Daddy, what's that?" she pointed back at the boy in the cage. "It's so cute."

Kazuhara glanced back. "It's nothing. Come on."

Hikari looked back. The odd, beautiful creature was still staring at her. "But Daddy!" She started to whine. "It's really pretty! I want it!"

"No, Hikari."

"But Daddy!" she yelled out in her standard high-pitched squeal, loud enough that all the people-things in the cages starting looking at them.

"Eh wot's all dis?" came a voice from the back of the building. It was a tall, skinny man with a wiry moustache, dressed as a simple merchant. "Ah, a cust'mer! Wot ken ah do fer ye, good sir?"

Kazuhara looked down at his daughter, her big almond eyes wide with tears, and sighed. He approached the merchant. "How much for the boy?" he asked, nodding toward the odd thing Hikari seemed to have her heart set upon.

"Ah, a man 'a good taste ye are. But 'n front 'a ya daughta, sir? Ye be a kinky one eh--" The tall, skinny man suddenly found himself with a sword at his throat.

"Close your foul mouth and give me a price."

"N... n... n... no need t' g... get violent, sir!" The skinny man held his hands up, looking more than a little frightened, his moustache quivering. "A... a member of the Gotei, are ye? S'alright. We get plenty o' ye 'n here. Would... would... would ya be wantin' 'im fer an hour, or all night?"

"To buy him outright."

The moustached man's eyes shot open. That would cost a fortune. "T... t... that's... well... he's a choice piece o' merchandise, sir! Ah dinna know..."

"Is twenty million enough?" Kazuhara put his sword back into its sheath.

"T... t... t... t... t...," the words caught in the merchant's throat. "T... twenty million?" The boy was choice, but he was still only one boy. Never brought in more than fifty thousand a night. To make twenty million, that'd take, er... "That... should be fine, sir." The moustached man was never very good at math.

Clink. Kazuhara tossed a leather pouch at the moustached man's feet. It spilled open, filled with solid gold ten-thousand-yen coins. "Open the cage."

The merchant scrambled to get all the coins back into the bag. "Y... yes, sir, at once, sir." He stood up and hurried over to the boy's cage before the silver-haired rich man could change his mind. He fumbled with his keyring before nervously sliding the right key into the lock and turning it. A click, and then the door creaked open. "Right, come 'n out," said the merchant. Without a change in expression, the sad blond slave crept out of his cage and stood, eyes downcast, in front of Kazuhara. "'ere ye are, sir. Nice 'n fresh for ye."

"Come along," Hikari's father ordered, and the boy obeyed.

"Pleasure doin' business with ye!" the merchant called, still mesmerized by the incredible amount of cash that Kazuhara Kijou had just seemingly thrown away, as the three of them left the building.

The boy's eyes squinted a bit in the daylight. It wasn't often he got to see the sun. After a few moments of silence, he tugged on Kazuhara's robe. "What do you wish for me to do, master?" said the boy in a dead monotone.

"I'm not your master," said Kazuhara.

"Uh?" the boy looked slightly confused.

"Yay!" Hikari suddenly glomped the blond boy. "So cute! Eww," she suddenly jumped back, holding her nose. "It needs a bath!"

"Your master is Miss Hikari here," Kazuhara nodded toward his daughter. "You're going to be her personal servant from today forward. You will attend to her every need, including serving her meals, washing her clothes, and drawing her bath. Oh, and Miss Hikari has a sister as well. You will need to perform the same duties for her as well."

"No! It's mine!" Hikari shouted, grabbing the boy's hand.

"Hikari!" Kazuhara spoke down to her. "Share with your sister. I purchased this boy for the both of you. It's about time you both got a personal servant of your own anyway."

Hikari pouted a little, but relented. "Alright," she said. She suddenly brightened up. "Daddy! What should we call it?"

Kazuhara stared down at the boy. "Probably by his name, I'd guess." He knelt down to the boy's level. "You, boy, do you have a name?"

"Uh...," the boy's voice creaked. "A... An...." He stopped. He'd never been allowed to use his real name... it sounded too foreign. He thought for a second. Most customers never asked, but just in case, his overseers had taught him how to say his name in Japanese.

"Anshou Mizukin," said the boy.

Kazuhara stood and raised an eyebrow. "A Japanese name? You're obviously not Japanese. Is that a name your captors gave you?"

Anshou remained silent and looked at the ground.

"Very well, Anshou," said Hikari's father. "You're now a member of the Kijou household. And if I might say, you're quite lucky that Miss Hikari took such a shine to you. Whatever life you were living back there, you'll never have to go back to it."

"Come on, Daddy! Come on, An-chan!" Hikari said happily, running ahead, still clutching the boy's hand. "Daddy, can we buy him a collar? Or a pretty dress?"

"A dress?" Kazuhara looked slightly amused. "Probably not. But a nice suit might be appropriate. Let's go to the clothing store again."

Anshou looked back over his shoulder for the last time at the room of cages that had been his home for the last eleven years. Could he... really be... free? He looked at the smiling girl holding his hand. And then he too smiled for what could have been the first time in his entire life.

Hikari opened her eyes, smiling. She wrapped her arms around her pillow and gave it a big squeeze. She loved it anytime she got to dream about Anshou, but that day, following the butterfly, meeting An-chan for the first time. It was like fate had brought the two of them together as children. And hopefully, Hikari thought, fate would keep her at Anshou's side for the rest of her life. She giggled a bit. It was amazing how wonderful An-chan made her feel. It made the sun shining through the window on her face feel warmer, and the noon bell sounding over the campus sound like a symphony orchestra.

Noon bell?

With a start, Hikari sat up. Ashibue was standing over her, already fully dressed, holding Hikari's zanpakutou in her hands, looking as if she was still trying to decide whether or not to wake her sister up.

"You could have woken me!" Hikari snapped, jumping out of bed and hurriedly shucking off her pajamas. Ashibue's eyes turned down to the ground apologetically.

The elder sister had her robes on in seconds and busily attempted to comb and tie up her hair as she raced out the door. "Come on, Kage-chan. Let's go downstairs and see Daddy."

Ashibue sighed. Seeing Father was probably the last thing Ashibue felt like doing at that moment.

Anshou heard the noon bell as well, standing at his window, fully dressed. He'd had the same dream as Hikari the night before, though he likely didn't remember the day as fondly as Hikari did.

It had been well over a century since the Kijou family had saved him from... no, 'saved' wasn't the right word. Purchased. Bought and sold like so much property.

Twenty million yen, Anshou said to himself. It was an awful lot of money, but... That's all my life's worth. Twenty million yen. He wondered for a second if Kazuhara Kijou had placed any sort of monetary value at all on Hikari's life...

He hated it. He'd never done anything wrong. He had no memory of his life on Earth. Soul Society records had shown he'd died as a baby, and then what? Condemned to a life of poverty in the 78th District. Then captured and sold into slavery. And then... eleven years of torture at the hands of the most sick, twisted, and evil individuals Soul Society had ever produced. All because time flowed so slowly here. That was great for the privileged and the peaceful... but all it did was prolong the misery of those less fortunate.

And his only escape... getting purchased like a farm animal by one of the nobles he'd grown to fear and hate. The slave trade was still going on. Anshou never forgot that. He never forgot the miserable faces of the poor in 78th District while he was eating succulent meals in the Kijou servants' quarters. He never forgot the lost, dead eyes of his fellow slaves while Kazuhara Kijou sponsored his entrance into the Academy.

All his life, Anshou had been haunted by these things... but never had the power to change them.

But now...

Now... I do have power.

Anshou clenched his hand around Shiroganesashi's handle. Today was the day Soul Society would begin to change. This was a day people would remember for the rest of time to come.

This is the day... I get my name back.

He opened his door and made his way to the auditorium.

They had been dancing in her room for the past hour and Rumiko simply was not getting it. She was usually fine with movement and coordination, but dance floors put her off-kilter for some unknown reason. She always felt like she would tip over sideways or trip over her partner's feet. Rumiko was considering just giving up and telling Kanue that she wouldn't be going to the dance with him after all.

The music started up again and Rumiko drew away from Kanue's arms. He moved so effortlessly, it seemed. He was floating compared to her and the awkward clumsiness she displayed with the movements. She was beginning to grow tired of it. "I think I'll sit this one out if you don't mind. It's not as though the practice is doing me much good anyway." She sat on her bed, bouncing slightly before folding her legs beneath her.

"That's not true." Ryouichi moved to the side of the room to silence the music. "Before we started you didn't even know the steps. You're already improving, you just haven't realized it yet." He leaned back against the wall. "And that's probably my fault, for not teaching very well. The reason you're tripping up is because you're not used to the movements yet, or at least not used to going through them with another person, right?" He smiled pushing away from the wall and strolling over. "So then, how about we just go through the steps? You lead, as fast or as slowly as you want to, and I'll step with you. Then we'll work with the actual music. That way you won't have to worry about losing balance so much."

(This is a collaborative post between me and Kasahara, enjoy, despite the fact that it's absurdly overdue by now. No coloured text or anything because this would be a bugger to format.)

Takeshi almost smiled when he saw Kasahara, his mind gratefully registering that he had indeed avoided having sex with Naomi. It took him a moment, however, to realize that he had slept with Kasahara. He heard Naomi regurgitating in the nearby room, not doing a lot to help the situation. Takeshi was about to speak up in an attempt to break the silence, when Kasahara beat him to it.

"DON'T LOOK AT ME!"

Completely taken aback Takeshi stumbled over, almost rolling off the bed and out from under the sheets. He glanced back to Kasahara, curious as to what had caused her outburst, and he saw her well up with tears before his vision cut out by Kasahara shoving pillow into his face. Any and all protesting to this action was muffled by the pillow and lost before it could be spoken. Flabbergasted, Takeshi just lay there, the pillow still being shoved into his face. Feeling the pressure removed, Takeshi let the pillow drop and stared blankly at Kasahara, who was giving her body a look over. She looked miserable and still had tears clinging to her eyes when she whispered "No one will marry me now."

"I, uh-" Takeshi stopped before his sentence started, taking notice of Naomi, who had entered the room, looking rather haggard. With Naomi entering room, Takeshi took notice of the room's condition for the first time. Said room was not in the best of shape. The room is completely destroyed - most of the furniture (save the bed) is in pieces, with dust and debris all over the floor. Out of Takeshi line of sight, however, is Kasahara's zanpakutou on the floor, unsheathed, next to the bed.

"You two finally up? It's about time... Damn, you two were animals last night." Takeshi almost gawked W-We did this? He watched Naomi pass Kasahara a piece of black rags, speaking to her "That's what's left of your clothes. You guys practically tore 'em off each other." Naomi spoke to Takeshi, "There's nothing left of your clothes at all, so good luck getting back to the men's wing. And if you see Midori, make sure you apologize. She couldn't even stay in the room after she saw what you two were up to."

Kasahara heard only the beginning of what Naomi had said. The poor girl immediately covered her ears and defiantly whimpered to herself. "I didn't hear that. I didn't hear that!" While the brunette was in self despair, the male she shared the bed with handled the news differently. Takeshi did become momentarily slack jawed this time, dumbfounded by the destruction of property and clothes accompanied by the disruption of Midori (Who?), he blankly watched Naomi stagger over to and collapse into unconsciousness on the aforementioned Midori's bed.

Once the Naomi fell exhaustedly into the other bed, Kasahara turned to look at Takeshi again. Uncovering her ears she asked about what happened before they ended up like this. "I didn't think you drank that much. Do.." Kasahara was afraid of asking her question, fearing that she'd accept the situation. "Do you remember anything that happened?" Takeshi blinked. She was right, he hadn't had that much to drink... At least, not until Naomi had begun encouraging more drinking, successfully wasting both of them. He cast a glare at the collapsed Blue-haired one; making it known he blamed her for last night's heavy drinking.

"I... No. I don't remember anything", a sensation aggravatingly familiar for one of our amnesia stricken heroes. "But isn't the Academy a good 10 kilometers from that bar? Maybe we were just, uh, tired when we got here? And we fell asleep, naked... after trashing this room... Nevermind". Giving up on his attempt to rationalize their situation without the outcome of sex, unfortunately that was more difficult than he'd hoped.

There was a moment a silence that continued to make the two of them feel awkward. What came out of Kasahara's mouth next was unexpected. "I believe you." More importantly, she forced herself to believe it. It had to be true. False hopes that she clutched tightly onto even though Takeshi trailed off that statement with doubt. Kasahara hardly remembered anything that happened the previous night. Naomi forced something in her mouth and before she knew it, she was drinking along with her two friends. The rest of the night was a haze to her. Kasahara calmed down a little and took an assessment of the room they were in. *Everything* was in pieces. Even what was left of her cloths. Her crude looking weapon lay in the middle of the room and seemed to shine as if wanted to be picked up.

"E-excuse me." Kasahara mumbled as she scooted to the edge of the bed, pulling the sheets away from Takeshi. She didn't dare take a glance at his naked form without the sheets covering him and also thought about how they both might return to their prospective rooms without embarrassment. She reached over and gingerly picked her zanpakutou up from the floor and told Takeshi what she was going to do incase he had any other suggestion. Without looking at him, she spoke. "I'm going to cut the sheet in half and you can make yourself decent with your half while I do the same with mine. I'm going to.. uh." What *can* she do? Nothing can save her from the embarrassment she was already facing. The least she could do was take refuge in her own room. "I'm going back to me room."

Takeshi nodded at first, the idea seemed reasonable enough. "I... Wait, that won't work." The fact that each set of dorms were more than their fair share away from each other set into Takeshi's mind, and suddenly the idea of running that distance in nothing but a sheet did not appeal to him at all. "It's too far away, I'd have be completely exposed... and everyone would look at me...” Giving a mental shudder at the thought of so many eyes upon him, Takeshi began to think about what he could do to avoid this, and his eyes fell on Kasahara. She was about the same height as him, and not significantly larger. He probably could fit into the same size robes as her. Or at least the same pants. Provided there were extra pairs. "We should just try to get to your room", Takeshi spoke, informing her of his idea afterward.

She nodded quietly, knowing that it was a much better idea and that it would save him from further embarrassment. What worried her was that Rikiki would possibly be in her room when they get there. How could she explain to her roommate how they got into this situation when neither were truly sure themselves. Kasahara shook that idea aside and concentrated on cutting the sheets evenly. While she busied herself, Takeshi took to giving the room another look around, once again taking in the destruction and havoc they had brought upon the room. His eyes eventually fell upon the collapsed form of the Blue-haired Buffoon, and her limp body looked strangely familiar; although it took him a moment to remember why. To remember the day a week ago when he had stumbled across Naomi's nearly lifeless corpse and accepted the blame for Kasahara's mutilation of the girl. The upsetting memory upon him, he gave Kasahara glance, deciding to bring up the topic when they reached her room, and when she didn't have an unsheathed Zanpakutou in hand.

Once the brunette was done, she slid out of bed and wrapped her half of the sheet around her like a towel. Not wanting to accidentally see anything she wasn't supposed to on Takeshi, Kasahara tiptoed towards the door and cracked it open to peer outside. It would be extremely bad for them if any of the other girls in this dorm saw Takeshi and her like this. Unfortunately that was fated to occur, as the door opened the two of them, clothed only in their sheets, came face to face with the green-haired inhabitant of this room.

She was still standing in the hall, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently, when the door at last opened. After the third or so try she'd stopped knocking and listened, and eventually picked up on the sounds of voices within, so she'd guessed someone was about to try and make their way out. So she waited, right in front of the door so that when at last someone opened it she'd be the first and only thing they'd see.

She hadn't expected it to be Takeshi and Kasahara garbed only in torn and ragged remnants of bedsheets, only barely decent... but she probably should have.

"Good morning, your majesties," she intoned sarcastically through a sardonic smirk. "I trust the acc... Good grief, you guys destroyed everything." She gawked rather shamelessly at the scene of destruction behind them, what of it she could see, and... was that Naomi's snoring she heard? She had to be sleeping on Midori's bed, not enough remained of her own to even be called furniture anymore. "I guess I'll need to get used to sleeping in the common room at this rate." She shook her head and glanced at the pair in front of her.

"Come on then," she muttered, though not angrily, and turned down the hallway to lead the pair towards Kasahara's dorm. "Hall's clear for now, let's get you some real clothes..." She paused and glanced back at Takeshi, "and figure out what to do about you..." She grinned and resumed her original pace once more.

"A-ah!" She exclaimed as she found herself standing in front of Midori. This lead to an extremely uncomfortable awkward moment between the two and having Takeshi nearly, if not entirely nude behind her, didn't help the situation. Kasahara clutch her sheet closer against her embarrassingly and looked away to avoid her gaze. "It's not what it looks like!" It was probably exactly what it looked like. Before she could say anything more, Midori greeted them with then took notice of her room. Yes, it was a complete mess because of them though neither can remember what exactly happened. She made a comment about sleeping in the common room and Kasahara felt guilty instantly. She mumbled an apology before Midori stepped aside and lead them to Kasahara's room.

Walking in a fast pace down the hall, she expected Takeshi to follow her and Midori. Kasahara didn't bother looking behind her to check if he was keeping up, but assumed that he was close. It made her feel a little uneasy for some reason. How much did the sheet leave uncovered? Was she still revealing too much skin from his angle? Her legs were bare and the cloth could only cover the top portion of her thighs. Her back and arms felt indecently exposed; normally, she wore clothes that would hide these portions of skin. Kasahara's pace slowed a little as she felt even more conscious of how she appeared infront of Takeshi. What made her feel even odder was the fact that they were practically naked next to each other not too long ago. Why did having very little to cover her bother when Takeshi has already seen her nude already?

She felt her face turn red hot. Come to think of it, Kasahara has seen Takeshi completely naked too. The brunette remembered waking up to see Takeshi's bare chest. It was decorated with scars that seem to trace down to his waist. She didn't remember what his lower regions looked like; perhaps the alcohol blocked out that image for her. Uhghghg she felt impure just thinking about it.

The sound of her bare feet against the cold floor of the hallway slowed down as she got closer to her room. She held her door open wordlessly for Midori to enter first and finally turned around to see if Takeshi really did follow. She didn't check whether or not Rikiki was in there first. Instead, she'll let Midori and Takeshi enter first and find out for her.

The auditorium was packed to bursting. Some people were still standing, milling around, chatting with each other, some reminiscing about their own Academy days, some politely discussing details of noble life, and some just hanging around the hors d'oeurves table stuffing their faces with vegetables.

The overall noise got a bit quieter when someone came out on the stage. It was a wery attractive young man with dark hair and glasses, wearing an 8th Division uniform. Some of the younger female students squealed a little bit when he stepped out.

"Please be seated," he said in a clear, articulate voice. The room slowly went silent as the audience scattered to their seats. None of the thousands of chairs that Kanue and Rumiko had set up last night were going to waste.

"Ladies, gentlemen, esteemed guests," the man continued. "Welcome to the 653rd annual Shinigami Academy Homecoming Ceremony. I'm your host for this evening, 8th Division 3rd Seat Tetsu Inada." His voice wasn't very deep, but it was very loud and clear. It echoed through the acoustics of the auditorium like a loudspeaker without him even needing a microphone.

"Please welcome tonight's representatives of the Thirteen Divisions."

The doors at the back of the auditorium opened.

"Representing First Division, General Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryusai."

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Not far from the Academy, a hole tore open in the air. Three figures leapt from the hole, landing on their feet.

"No matter how many times I take that trip, I can't get used to it," one said.

"Over there," said the second one, nodding toward the school.

The three figures started walking toward the building.

=======================================================

"Representing Second Division, Lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda."

The large, portly, Class 3-B homeroom teacher squeezed through the door, looking imperious and smug, as always, his Shinigami uniform decked out with more gaudy jewelry than normal. Captain Soi Fon almost never attended formal gatherings, so she was more than happy to leave the duty to her wealthy, noble lieutenant.

"Representing Third Division, Lieutenant Izuru Kira."

Kira marched into the auditorium, his head held high and his eyes focused forward.

"Representing Fourth Division, Captain Restu Unohana."

The 4th Division Captain followed Kira up to the stage, carrying with her a dignified, quiet air as always.

"Representing Fifth Division, Lieutenant Momo Hinamori."

Momo came in, looking a bit nervous. She walked a little too fast, almost bumping into Retsu in front of her.

"Representing Sixth Division, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki."

One could almost see the cherry blossoms trailing behind Byakuya as he made his way to the stage as well.

"Representing Seventh Division, Captain Sajin Komamura."

Captain Komamura marched his enormous frame into the auditorium, proudly wearing his 7th Division haori and ignoring the looks of disapproval that his fox-faced visage garnered from some of the nobles.

"Representing Eighth Division, Captain Shunsui Kyouraku."

Kyouraku had cleaned himself up a little for the ceremony. This was the one day a year when Kyouraku actually shaved, and his pink, flowered haori was replaced by the official haori of 8th Division. He still wore the straw kasa hat on his head, though.

"Representing Ninth Division, Third Seat Yotsurou Tenkawa."

Yotsurou Tenkawa was a young, friendly-looking man with well-kept black hair. He seemed to be in his early thirties. Some students quietly wondered where Lieutenant Hisagi was. Junshirou squeezed down into his seat, hoping his father's younger brother didn't notice him.

"Representing Tenth Division, Captain Toushiro Hitsugaya."

Toushiro entered the auditorium, looking about as surly as a white-haired brat could.

"Representing Eleventh Division, C..." Tetsu looked down at his note card. Now that was unexpected. "Captain... Kenpachi Zaraki."

No one in the auditorium had actually expected Captain Zaraki to attend the Homecoming Ceremony. He never had before - usually ceremonies and public appearances were handled by 5th Seat Ayasegawa. But here he was, scars and all, his hair well groomed into his usual spiked style with bells. His unpatched eye dared anyone to say anything about his presence. He was the Captain of 11th Division. If he wanted to come to Homecoming, he was damn well allowed to.

"Representing Twelfth Division, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi."

Mayuri came in, looking as bizarre and creepy as ever. His "formal wear" consisted of an enormous black-and-red frilly collar around his neck, a five-pointed golden headdress, and a touch of red makeup under his yellow eyes, in addition to his typical black-and-white face paint.

"Representing Thirteenth Division, Captain Jushiro Ukitake."

Captain Ukitake brought up the rear, his frail form and white hair looking to be the direct opposite of the previous two Captains' larger frames.

The thirteen representatives took seats in a row on the stage behind Tetsu. Even while seated, Zaraki towered over all of them.

"Now, to say a few words commemorating this occasion, please welcome the Headmaster of Shinigami Academy, Lieutenant Chojiro Sasakibe."

A smattering of polite applause rose from the crowd as Chojiro stepped up to the lectern. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen," he said into the microphone - his voice didn't carry nearly as well as Inada's. "As my esteemed collegue, Inada-sensei, said to you, welcome to this year's Homecoming ceremony.

"As you all know, the Homecoming tradition began in the year 1362, when Soul Society was still reeling from the wounds of the Second Civil War. I was just a young person then, a fresh graduate from the Academy, a lowly-ranked 20th seat in the 3rd Division, serving under then-Captain Mamoru Sugiura. I think it's safe to say, for anyone who was alive during that horrible time, that it's not something we'd ever want to see repeated.

"The powers that ran this Acadamy then, Captain Kyouraku and his lieutenant," he nodded first toward Shunsui, then toward the Yadoumaru family, "wanted an event that would bring together people from all corners of this great land. From the towering mansions of West Seireitei, to the merchants in the South Rukongai, fishermen from the distant East, labourers from the mountains of the North, wanderers in the wildernesses of the West. Persons who would ordinarily not ever associate with one another would, for one day each year, come together in this hall, in this Academy. Promoting free exchange of ideas, as was thought then, would prevent another Civil War from ever occuring."

========================================================

"Which way is it?" said one of the three who had exited from the portal and were now wandering through the Academy. "Why isn't there anyone around?"

"Because we're late," another said, rather dryly.

"Hey!" the first snapped. "It's not my fault we had to wait an hour for you to fill those stupid caps of yours."

"It's always best to be prepared," the second replied.

"We're here," said the third, stopping in front of the auditorium doors.

=========================================================

"And so," Chojiro droned on, "as I've said many times before, it's--"

SLAM!

The doors of the auditorium suddenly flew open, echoing throughout the hall.