Itoshii lay in the swaying grass for some time, struggling to remain fully conscious. Finally she struggled to her hands and knees groping around for her Zanpakuto. Once she had fully stood she realized Kyouki had left…again. Her head spun from side to side frantically,

“Kyouki!? Kyouki were are you!?” she said, when she heard no answer she threw her head back and screamed, “Son of a bitch!” Her frustration flowed out of her as she swung Akumukage at nearby tree, fences and long grass. Her panicked, angry rampage came to a stop when she swung the black blade at a large rock, and it ricocheted off it, throwing her off balance, she stumbled to her side, tears welling up in her sharp green eyes,

“Why won’t you listen to what I have to say? Why won’t you wait…?” she whispered to herself, pounding her gloved hand on the ground. She remembered the few hours ago that Kyouki had left, it felt like weeks now. She remembered Kyouki lecturing her about being a captain.

’Being a captain…’ she thought, ’Captains duties…’ she suddenly jerked up, “Oh my god!!” she shrieked. Hurriedly she scrambled to her feet, wiping away her tears and holding up her hand in a delicate position, a Hell Butterfly fluttered onto her fingers flapping its black wings, suddenly doors slammed in front of her, and she scrambled threw them running as fast as she could.

***

“Captain Uta! What is the meaning of this?!” The old Captain of the first squad said when he spotted Itoshii panting in his door way, “You are supposed to be in the human world!”

Quickly she regained her breath and strode, standing tall, over to Captain Yamamoto,

“I’m sorry for this intrusion, Taichou, but I’m reporting an Arrancar in Karakura town.”

“Wh-what? An Arrancar?” he said flabbergasted.

“Yes, and many Hollows, but I’m sorry, I cannot follow up on them you will have to send another squad, something has happened to my assistant captain, and I must see to that.” She said her face void of emotion. She bowed and made her leave striding out of the office.

“Uta-Taicho!” Yamamoto yelled, slamming his fists on his desk, “Uta! Get back here damn it! Itoshii Uta!” but it was no use, she was already passing to the human world.

***

” London bridge is falling down…falling down… falling down
London bridge is falling down, my fair lady…” Itoshii quietly sang to herself as she walked slowly towards the human world. It brought back memories, herself as a whole, and a fading image of her death, but one disturbing memory floated to the top of her mind. A dead tabby cat, its soul wandering aimlessly, her bloody hands reaching, her mouth watering and her stomach hungry.

“No…” she said shaking her head. In her hands was a Hell butterfly, but also in front of her, was another hell butterfly, she hand to stop herself from crushing the one in her hand when she abruptly winced from the painful memory. Again, she started singing the children’s lullaby, “London Bridge” to sooth her mind. She reached the human world, were sunrise was casting an orange pink light over the sky. The fist Hell butterfly in front of her, its job done flew away, fading in to nothing. The second, Itoshii held near her mouth, and whispered. White characters floated onto the black wings as she spoke them, writing a message to her subordinate, Kyouki, were ever he may be. As soon as she was done, she cast the butterfly into the air, and watched it flutter off. She could easily follow the butterfly, but she needed to get back to her assistant captain.

***

As Itoshii stepped into Urahara Shoten, she immediately was run into by Chibi-chan.

“Taichou! Hello hello hello!” she squealed, hugging her captains legs, Itoshii bent down and hugged Chibi-chan back, laughing, “Hello Little Chibi-chan!” Chibi-chan beamed and looked over Itoshii shoulder, searching for Kyouki.

“Were’s…Kiki?” she hesitantly asked her face falling.
Itoshii sighed and said, “I…I don’t think Kyouki is coming back…” Chibi-chan’s face fell completely, tears brimming in her brown eyes, “Not…Not coming back? But where is he?” she said, eyes wide.

“I have no idea, Chibi-chan” was Itoshii’s reply.  She smiled weakly as she stood up, “Kisuke we’re spending today here…I need…some rest…” noticing for the first time that she was exhausted, she held tightly onto Chibi-chan, walking to the back and claiming and empty room,  she flopped down onto the futon and hugged Chibi-chan tightly, softly crying into her assistant-captain’s uniform until she fell into a sad sleep.

Itoshii had slept all day, Chibi-chan likewise. Around 9:00 the next evening, Itoshii woke with Chibi-chan clinging to her, next to her head was a bottle of sake, some bean cakes and a juice box for Chibi-chan, stuck on top of the sake bottle was a pink post-it note with Kisuke’s scrawling hand writing on it.

“Well, I hope you’re all rested up, I can’t have you two being couch potatoes all over my shop. I’ll be out all day today, if you need anything please ask Tessai. Have a nice day! Kisuke Urahara.”

Itoshii sighed and reached for the sake bottle, only to have her thumb grabbed by Chibi-chan, “Taichou, I need to ask you some questions before you get drunk…”

“I’m not getting drunk--!” Itoshii protested, but as cut short by the littler one,

“I’m just making sure!” she giggled, and hugged Itoshii, “So, Itoshii-Tiachou,” seriousness rolled across her face now, “you lied to Kiki about when you told him about when you were a whole didn’t you?”

Itoshii stopped short and looked away, and reached for the bottle again, ignoring
Chibi-chan’s protests to it, “A bit…” she muttered

Chibi-chan scoffed and said, “I was listening when you thought I was asleep.”  

Itoshii gulped and shut her eyes at that, Chibi-chan continued, “Half of your soul? The other part is a Vizzard? Kisuke-san did an operation on you?” she said, giggling, “That’s the most unbelievable story I’ve ever heard!”

Itoshii scoffed and mumbled, “Well, he certainly ate it up like popcorn…” Her lutenit sighed and stroked Itoshii’s thick blue hair, “Well, yes, but I think he’s going to think it a tad bit suspicious later.” She giggled again, “Then he’s not going to like you anymore!”

Itoshii shuddered and whispered, “Don’t say that…” she hugged her little assistant captain tighter, “H-He already hates me…” she stuttered, her normally strong voice cracking, “I think he left because of me…”

Chibi-chan gave a sad little smile and petted Itoshii, “Now, we don’t know that, it could have been anything!”

Still, Itoshii quivered, “Y-yeah, but what if he did leave because of me?” she sobbed, “I didn’t mean to make him angry, I…I..” tears rolled down her cheeks silently and she sniffled, Chibi-chan held her captains head in her arms and let her go on and cry, Itoshii on the other hand held tightly on to the other.  She felt as if all the protective walls that she had built over the many years were crumbling; felt as if her heart was in pieces, and that she was drowning in her own tears, all over one certain, oddly haired ex-subordinate.

***

Meanwhile, the captain of the 12th division sneered. For the last couple of hours he had been tailing Kyouki Yumeobito, he had followed the 6th squad out of the soul society when they were ordered to clean up the Hollows around Karakura. He wanted to test Kyouki, test his limits, mentally and physically, and also he wanted to figure out what was so strange about the third seat. But first he needed to catch the sly beast, he had soon found out that Kyouki was more agile than he had expected and more adapt to hiding himself. The question of why he was hiding so well buzzed around in Mayuri’s head, was someone other that himself trying to find Kyouki? If so why? Mayuri thought about this as he stealthily followed the shinigami, cursing him for being so well hidden.

Kyouki on the other hand, sped up as he completely asked himself, sent, soul energy, and being, to take a break. Panting, he crouched behind a large rock, one of many on the mountain he was climbing. Nighttime was hiding him quite well, the moon hidden by dark cloud he caught his breath and watched the blue black clouds scud by. Then he noticed something that made him grab his zanpakuto firmly and stare in wonder, A hell butterfly stood out sharply against the clouds, it fluttered toward him, to land on his nose, lazily flapping its black wings. Kyouki, with crossed eyes, noticed the white words etched on to it, he lifted the butterfly on to his hand and started to read the telegram like message.

”Hi Kyouki! <STOP> I’m just writing this to you to say, I guess, goodbye. <STOP> I’m sorry if I made you leave, and I wish I could have said it properly to your face, but as usual, you left me without a word. <STOP> Well, I guess with a word, sort of. <STOP> Anyway, I’m sorry a million times over, and I miss you, I hope you can find that girl of yours and become happy; I hate to see you unhappy. <STOP> I really do. <STOP> We’re all going to miss you a lot, and if you come back I hope we can go get some sake! <STOP> Good bye then, lots of love from your Former Captain, Itoshii Uta <STOP>

Kyouki read the message several times his face falling.

“Her again…” he muttered, he had no intention of coming back, but at least to tell Itoshii that he had received the message, he sent the little butterfly back, with a new message, in much more scratchy handwriting, ”Good bye to you too” and turned on his heel and sprinted up the tall mountain, memories flooding in to his head of the times him and his captain had been together of the last couple of months. He growled and forced the thoughts out of his head and focused on solely accomplishing his mission, but the elegantly happy captain still tickled in the back of his mind. He was so focused on his mission and suppressing his memories, that he never noticed the 12th division captain’s soul energy, some miles behind him.