The execution stand called the Dual Terminus stands solemnly on its high cliff. Hitsugaya and Rangiku head toward it - elsewhere, Gin and an unsettled Izuru are going in that direction as well.

(Intro: An awesome image of Renji & Ichigo battling it out... wow! XD)

Four shrouded figures line up on the bridge leading to the White Tower. The prison door lifts open to reveal an expressionless Rukia. Around her neck is a collar connected by four red cords.

Elsewhere, on a quiet street, two shinigami are on cleaning duty. The ugly older one with a bad haircut is leaning against the wall, while the pierced younger one with bleached hair is sitting with his back against the opposite wall, pressing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger to hold off a migraine, "Auughhh... shit, I'm tired... drank too much..."

"Moron," the older, ugly one speaks up. "It wasn't sake, it's because you were smoking nothing but Murasaki, ain't it. No wonder you're tired, you idiot," he scowls. "Seriously." (1)

"Huh? Shut up, man," the piercings guy scowls at 'Ugly'. "Don't get on my case because we got defeated yesterday. C'mon, gramps, y'wanna die?"

"Whatchu say?" Ugly tosses his broom aside and reaches for his sword. "That's just perfect! Draw, you bastard. I'll sweep you out before I sweep the floors."

"I haven't heard 'sweep' used like that in a long time! You are so freakin' uncool, gramps!" 'Piercing' jumps to his feet and readies his own sword. "Die!"

From the distance, a strange thumping sound could be heard growing louder by the second. Piercing looks down the road in bewilderment, "Ah?"

Ugly asks, "What's that sound - "

The unmistakable figure of the 11th Captain appears as he skids out of an alleyway and heads straight at Ugly and Piercing. The two subordinates freeze up in terror and scream, "GOOD MORNING, CAPTAIN ZARAKI~~~!!!!" They rush to pick up their brooms, "Thank you so much for letting us sweep again today! We'll put our whole hearts into it!"

Zaraki sprints pass them without even noticing their existence. They turn and watch him leave with dumbfounded looks.

Ikkakku suddenly appears, following Zaraki's trail. He spares the two subordinates a scornful look. "If you're gonna slack off, don't be so obvious," he warns. "Dumbasses."

Yumichika is not far behind. "If I see even a speck of dirt, I'll kill you," he says with a frighteningly manic glare.

The low-ranked Maki-maki rushes by as well, with his tongue sticking out and his hand raised in mock salute. "Well then, gentlemen! Put your backs into it!" He seems awfully happy about tagging along with the big names.

Ugly stares after the retreating group in disbelief, "...What the hell is that bastard Aramaki doing following the Captain around...?"

"Speakin' of which..." Piercing scratches his forehead, "weren't there two people riding on the Captain's back just now...?"

"...Well?" Zaraki asks the second occupant clinging to his back as he runs down the road. "Which way is next, woman?"

"....Ummmmm..." Orhime peeks over his broad shoulder and points to her left, "Probably this wa - "

Yachiru gives Orihime a solid headbutt in the face and points in the opposite direction, "It's that way!!"

"OWW! That's mean, Yachiru-chan," Orihime rubs her bruised cheek, "What are you doing!?"

"Heey!!" Yachiru ignores her cries and keeps pointing to the right, "You think it's that way too, right Ken-chan?"

"Shouldn't you leave it to Orihime-chan?" Ikakku calls from behind. "You are incompetent when it comes to directions."

"Shut up, Pachinko Ball!" Yachiru turns and hurls a wad of spit at his bald head. (2)

Ikakku silently readies his sword as the spit dribbles down his forehead and his temper spills over the boiling point.

"Hey, calm down, calm down," Yumichika warns him. "You were speaking to her rudely too, you know..."

"This is frustrating..." Zaraki mutters as he concentrates on where to get where he's going. "I'll go by my instincts for now!"

"Yaaaaaay!!" Yachiru cheers from her usually spot on his shoulder, "Go~~~~ Ken-cha~~~~n!!!"

~*~*~

A small butterfly flutters through the open slats of the narrow prison cell window. Ishida sits on his bunk and gazes at the cute creature in fascination, "Ahh, a cabbage butterfly flew in. How cute... fufufu... I wonder if it's spring in this world..."

"Staring at butterflies and talking to yourself... You're done for, man," Ganju sighs. "You can chase after it if you want, Uryuu. I won't tell the others about it."

"D... Don't make a fool out of me!" Ishida snaps back into reality. "It's not like I'd chase after butterflies! And I don't suppose you could stop calling me by my first name all the time? I don't remember ever being friends with you! "

"What!?" Ganju sits up, "I don't remember ever being friends to you either!"

"So just stop calling me by my first name!" Ishida shouts. "You're always so completely casual with people!"

"What'd you say!? Being casual is a Shiba family tradition!" Ganju shouts back. "Hey, you gotta problem with that!?"

Chad raises his head, hearing a strange noise. "Shh!" he raises a finger to hush his arguing companions.

"Eh?" Ishida looks over at him.

Ganju looks suspicious, "What? What's wrong?"

Chad asks, "...Do you hear something?"

Ganju and Ishida pause to listen to the distant, heavy sounds, "Now that you mention it..."

A panicked voice cries out, "Gyaaaaa!!" followed by a violent crash.

"...Speaking of which..." Ishida wonders.

"What are you doing, sir!?" another distant voice screams. "Heeeeeeeee..."

Ganju completes Ishida's line of thought, "It's definitely... heading our way, ain't it?"

"Calm down! Calm down, sir!" The sounds of unrestrained violence suddenly cease, resulting in an uncomfortable silence.

"Ah," Ishida gasps, breaking the silence.

Ganju speaks up, "It sto - "

The roof caves in without warning and Ganju starts screaming, "DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!?"

The three of them back away from the center of the cell a dust cloud kicks up around them. Ganju raises his cuffed arms and won't stop squealing, "GYAAAAAAHHH!! GYAAAAAAHHH!! GYAAAAAAHHH!!GYAAAAAAHHH!!"

"Wha... Whatwhatwhat the heck is this!?" Ishida demands.

The dust cloud clears to reveal a large figure. "You... You're..!!" Ganju stares at the man in horror as his mind seems to... break. "ZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHZAZAZAZAZAZAZAZAZAZAZA"

Ishida looks startled but Chad doesn't even pretend to know what the heck is going on anymore.

"Zaraki Kenpachi!!!" Ganju finally manages to speak sensibly. "The 11th Captain!!! And... AHHHHHH!!!" He spots one of Zaraki's subordinates standing nearby. "It's you! The perverted bob-haired narcissist!!"

"...And who may you be?" Yumichika pins him with a dry look. "Sorry, but I have a tendency to forget ugly faces."

"What'd you say!? I look much cooler now that I'm wrapped all up in bandages!!" Ganju retorts. "Anyway, you can't recognize my face if I'm wrapped up like this!"

He didn't deny that he's ugly... Ishida thinks. He looks up and notices someone clawing up to peer over Zaraki's shoulder. It turns out to be Orihime, as cheerful as ever, "Ishida-kun, Sado-kun, Ganju-kun!! Everyone's alright! That's great!!"

"I... Inoue-san!?"

~*~*~

In the hidden training grounds that Urahara and Yoruichi built long ago, Abarai Renji sheathes his sword and ties back his hair. He seems as ready as he'll ever be as he looks over his shoulder and calls out to the others, "Well, I'm going."

"...Alright," Ichigo stands with his facing to him, concentrating on his battle against Zangetsu.

With one last look, Renji turns away and heads for the latter leading out of the cave. Yoruichi is nearby, leaning against a boulder as she observes Ichigo's battle. As he walks by, he asks, "Hey, Yoruichi-san. Is that guy... really going to be okay?"

Yoruichi pauses before she assures Renji, "...Don't worry." Blood and sweat pours down the side of Ichigo's face and neck, but his eyes are clear and unwavering as they stay focused on Zangetsu.

"...Nobody's worried about him," Renji insists, "Don't get me wrong. I'm not asking if he'll die or not. His training's advanced that far, but what I'm asking is if he can really make it as far as Bankai!"

Yoruichi pauses again, "...I don't know..."

Angry at the flimsy reply, Renji glares back at her and shouts, "HEEEEEY!"

She ignores him. Her eyes are on Zangetsu as he steps toward Ichigo.

"Let's go, Ichigo..." Instead of one man, Zangetsu becomes a dozen men surrounding Ichigo, each one armed with a sword. "One more time! I'm warning you. With the deadline hanging over us, I have no intention of going easy on you!"

"Of course!" Ichigo grins savagely, "I know that! I don't plan to go easy on you either!!"

At a slight distance from the battlefield, Yoruichi asks, "...Renji, do you remember the first time you ever got up and walked?"

"Huh? There's no way I'd remember a thing like that!"

Yoruichi points out, "For you not to remember means you were not conscious of it. So why did you stand up?" She watches the battle begin as she continues to explain, "All people are born with the knowledge of how to stand. All birds know how to fly. All fish know how to swim. That's what we call instinct. It is because we know it by instinct that everyone reaches for that ability without hesitation. For Ichigo, his lack of hesitation is because those instincts lead him. He probably understands it instinctively... that he carries that ability within him... So I believe... that he will be 'one who shall reach Bankai'!!"

On the bridge leading away from the White Tower... Rukia makes the slow walk to her execution.


(1) It seems that Murasaki is some sort of tobacco. I don't know if it's a old-school version of cigarettes, a name-brand, or something only found in Soul Society.
(2) Pachinko is that popular slot machine game that deals with millions of little shiny balls. The resemblance to Ikkaku makes me giggle... ^_^

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