The shadows in his vision lighten as Kurosaki Ichigo slowly regains consciousness.

Hanataro appears in his line of vision, looking down at him, "Oh, you're awake, Ichigo-san."

"...Hanataro..." Ichigo asks in exhaustion, "Am I...?"

"Please don't move..." Hanataro wraps a thick bandage over Ichigo's abdomen, "your wounds haven't closed up yet..."

"Wounds..." Ichigo echoes in his detached state of mind, "that's right, I... fought Renji..."

His eyes widen. He suddenly jerks forward into a sitting position.

"I-ichigo-san!?" Hanataro exclaims, startled.

"Thanks, Hanataro... I'm alright now..." No, actually he was looking like shit, but he seems satisfied enough to struggle to his feet and get moving.

"Wha... what are you saying!!" Hanataro panics. "You mustn't move yet!!"

"...I have to go..." Ichigo stumbles to the doorway, dragging Zangetsu along with him.

"Ichigo-san!!" Hanataro runs to catch up with him, "Ichi..."

>WHAM< A large fist shoots out and slams Ichigo across the face, knocking him out cold.

Hanataro looks over at the man in the doorway, "Ga... Ganju-san!?"

"What's alright with a guy who gets knocked down so easily!" Ganju hits his fist into his open palm as he looks down at the fallen Ichigo. "Sleep quietly until you heal, dumbass!!"

"Awww... now he's got another injury..." Hanataro hefts Ichigo up by the armpits and looks down at the freshly bleeding nose mournfully. "You're so violent, Ganju-san..."

"Shut up! It's fine as long as I got him to stop!!" Ganju says defensively. "Quit bitching about the way I do things!"

Hanataro glances over the bandages pasted down from his shoulder blades to his torso, ...In any case... I didn't think the wound that runs from his left shoulder down his chest would be so shallow... I thought it would be a completely fatal injury... his eyes drift over to a fractured white mask laying on the ground with long teeth and a black stripe design on one side of its forehead. I wonder if it's due to that mask that was in his robe... what could that mask be...? For it to stop Vice Captain Abarai's sword attack... I wonder what it's made out of... No... more importantly... that mask looks too similar to a Hollow...! He looks back at the sleeping Ichigo. Isn't it, Ichigo-san...!

(Intro- Captain Aizen stands in a peaceful setting, looking out into the distance with his hands tucked into his sleeves.)

Inside a sparse prison cell, Abarai Renji lies on a hard bed with a sheet covering him and his hands bound at the wrists. He is hooked up to something which is apparently being used to heal his severe wounds.

A shinigami from the 4th Division kneels at Renji's bedside, packing up his supplies. Once he is ready, he goes up to the barred door, "Vice Captain Abarai's treatment is over for now! Please open the cell!"

Renji lies there unconscious with his brows drawn together in pain.

~*~*~

"Special war-time orders!" messengers rush down the corridors. "Special war-time orders!"

Inside the entrance to the 5th Division, a messenger kneels respectfully as he delivers the orders, "All upper level officers, as well as Vice Captains, are given permission to use their swords at any time. They are also allowed to completely unseal them in these times of war. That is the entire relay from 1st Captain Yamamotogenryusai Shigekuni."

The messenger looks up at his listener and adds, "These enemies were strong enough to defeat Vice Captain Abarai Renji and they may eventually extend their attack to these living quarters, so you must strengthen your defenses. Please be cautious by all means necessary, Vice Captain Hinamori Momo!"

Momo sits opposite of the messenger with her sword laid out beside her, "...I will..."

The messenger is gone, leaving Momo alone with her thoughts. "Special war-time orders... permission to use swords... Abarai-kun..." she looks down at her fisted hands, "How... could this have happened... We shouldn't be made to carry swords... if we were at peace... we wouldn't need to..."

She recalls her conversation with Hitsugaya. Be careful of the 3rd Division, he had said. Especially -

"...Captain Aizen..." she says to herself. "I don't wish to fight at all...!"

Later on that night, as the crescent moon rises in the sky, Captain Aizen sits at his low table, writing what appears to be a letter. He notices a movement and turns his head to address the shadow falling across the paper of the sliding door, "What's wrong? Did something happen, Hinamori-kun?"

"...P...pardon me..." Momo slides the door open and kneels at the entrance way, "May I be allowed to speak with you for a little while...?"

Discouraged by Aizen's startled look, Momo plows on with even more apprehension, "I'm fully aware that it's rude to bother you in the middle of the night like this but... I ... I can't sleep!" she admits, blushing. "So, somehow..."

Aizen stands and drapes his outer robe over Momo's shoulders to keep her warm. He looks at her with kind eyes, "Do you think I would be offended and turn you away? I wonder if I seem so mean by day. Please come inside. It has been quite a hectic day today. Stay and rest for as long as you need."

She comes in and sits on one side of the room, while Aizen returns to his table so he can complete his writing. "...It seems that Abarai-kun's life is not in any immediate danger..." he says.

"Really?" Momo looks relieved. "That's good..."

"Captain Kuchiki advocated that he be dismissed, but he was opposed so it didn't happen," Aizen continues. "I heard that Renji will return to work as soon as his wounds are healed."

"'Opposed'..." Momo echoes. "Does that mean you spoke up for him?"

"It wasn't just me," Aizen turns to give her a smile. "He's an excellent person and he's well-liked by everyone. There isn't a single person in the 13 Divisions who would be happy about him getting dismissed."

Yeah, Momo closes her eyes, comforted by his presence. Captain Aizen's words, his voice, everything about him washes my spirit clean. I'm glad I came here tonight. I'm so happy that I work for you, Captain Aizen...

The night drags on and Momo is asleep in bed. Aizen checks on her one last time before sliding the doors shut and walking down the corridor while dressed in his full Captain's uniform.

As he leaves, an unknown shinigami appears behind him.

~*~*~

"...I...! I'm sorry!" Momo jumps awake, panicked. "It seems that I fell asleep before I realized... it... Huh? Captain Aizen...?" she looks around. "He's gone..."

She picks up the beeping alarm clock by her bed and takes a look at it, "WAH! It's already this late!?"

After a quick change, Momo sprints down the hallways as she secures the vice-captain badge onto her arm. "If Captain Aizen woke up early, he could have at least said something to me... I wonder if I'll make it to the regular assembly on time..."

She sees a barrier set up on the path ahead. "I'll take a short cut," she easily hops over the barrier and turns the corner with a smile, "Great! Now I'll make it on ti..." She stops. She looks up.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

Not too far away, a group of Vice Captains hear her scream.

"What's that?"

"It came from the direction of the large eastern wall!!"

Along with the other Vice Captains, Kira Izuru runs toward the source of the screams, realizing, "That was Hinamori-kun's voice...!"

"What's wrong Hinamori-kun!?" he calls out as they arrive. "Did something-"

They stop and look up in shock.

"Ah... aah.... ca... cah..." Momo stares in wide-eyed horror at the man pinned by a sword high up on the wall. Blood trails down from the corpse. There is no mistaking who he is... "Captain Aizen!!"

back?