A/N: Wow, I havn't updated in, what, four months? What a beast I am. -_-

-B

Disclaimer: Blah blah blah - INSERT SARCASTIC COMMENT HERE - I don't own Bleach.

M-A-K-I-N-G-E-N-E-M-I-E-S

REUNIONS

The Espada did not like me.

Maybe it was because they had authority issues with being instructed by a five foot tall girl with a physical age of about fourteen, but I knew that none of the advanced hollows could stand me by the end of our first lesson. The boys had had a much bigger problem with me simply because I was a girl - Nnoitra especially - but the feeling of hate toward yours' truly was more or less mutual, no matter which gender we were looking at. I supposed that I should have been used to that particular emotion by that point, but it still stung.

I had honestly been shocked at the fact that I even made it through the first training session. In the end, none of Captain Aizen's experiments had been able to overpower my spiritual control; something that I was immensely grateful for. I had the sneaking suspicion that I might have been reduced to a smoldering pile of ash if that had happened. Regardless, Captain Aizen had been pleased with my demonstration and had asked me to do the same from now on. I, of course, had the word 'yes' out of my mouth before he had even finished asking the question.

It wasn't until a while later that I realized just how often that meant I would have to ask the crazed hollows to try and cero-fry me for the purpose of 'education.'

The only arrancar who didn't appear to be out to kill me was a tired looking espada named Starrk. In fact, he had even complimented me during the practice. Err, well, if you would call 'You're not as pitiful as I expected' a compliment. But at least he didn't seem to want my head mounted on his wall the way everyone else did. Heck, that was good enough for me. And, if I survived long enough, then I might actually become friends with the espada.

I laughed a little to myself. Me? Friends with an espada? Now, that was an idea. When had I become so unrealistic? Especially since when I thought of the words 'friend' and 'espada' in the same sentence, all I could conjure up was the exceedingly disturbing mental image of me and the hollow holding hands and skipping through an unrealistic field of flowers in slow motion. Boy, I really needed a check-up. Maybe if Captain Unohana was still around . . .

"Oooff!"

The oversized books that I carried were thrust into my stomach, effectively knocking the wind out of me. I toppled over backward, hitting my tailbone on the ceramic floor of the hallway with excessive force. My books fell all over the floor and on top of me, hitting my exposed shins hard enough that I was positive I would have bruise marks from them later. Frazzled and confused, I peered up off the floor to see who had knocked me over.

My chocolate eyes were met by a pair of cold, steel ones, curtained by a blanket of strawberry-blonde hair.

"Oh, I'm sorry Rangiku-san," I apologized hurriedly, stooping forward to re-organize my paper work and other materials. Several sheets slid out from between my fingers a second time, as my heartbeat acceleration climbed. Emberassment made me clumsy. "Forgive me, I was not paying attention to where I was going. I'm just a little bit distracted, and-" I forcefully cut off my lengthy and unnecessary explanation in an attempt to stop myself before Ran yelled at me.

Wretching my eyes from those of my friend's, I gathered the rest of my nearly forgotten supplies. I needed to get myself out of there and far from the line of danger that I was about to overstep.

Just as I pulled together the last of it, a beautifully manicured hand appeared in my downcast line if vision, donning a small, purple planner that I had somehow forgotten about when picking up. Shrinking back a little in surprise, I took it gingerly, offering my thanks and sincere apology once again, and praying that Rangiku didn't pick then and there to get out all the anger that I knew she had to be harboring for me by that point. After all, we had not spoken since the morning of my very controversial decision.

I spun around, papers hugged to my flat chest, and started to walk swiftly back the way I had come from. I didn't even care that I was now headed in the complete wrong direction. All that mattered to me was getting out of there and avoiding any unnecessary eye contact with Toshiro's lieutenant. I neared the corner, my mind already doing a little mental victory dance, about to turn it and make a mad dash for my life, when Rangiku's clear and unmistakable voice stopped me.

"Lieutenant Hinamori."

My face paled. Captain Aizen had told everyone to call me that. Somehow, what with the way Izuru and Toshiro had both ignored that particular decree, though, I had assumed that Rangiku would as well. But I had been wrong, as usual, and it was a true testament to how upset she was with me.

My back stiffened and the floor grabbed my feet, holding them in place. I supposed that it was too late to make that run for it, now. My body twisted around enough to let me look back over my shoulder. Still, I couldn't meet Rangiku's eyes, instead fixing them on the steel ring around her neck that had remained on everyone but me . . .

"Yes . . . Rangiku-san?" I responded meekly, and not at all in the way a real lieutenant should. But Rangiku mad was not something that many people got away from without a life-threatening injury to account for it. There were very few people strong-minded enough to keep her in check when she got passionate about something.

The lieutenant, who had always been like a big sister to me, strode the distance between us so that we were just inches apart. I could feel my face being drained of all the blood with each second that flew by. Finally, I pried my eyes off of her 'collar' and forced myself to drag my unwilling gaze to eyes. Her expression didn't disappoint.

If it had not been for Ran's storm cloud eyes overflowing with emotion and giving her away, I would never have been able to read her. But they were just the way they always were: Rangiku's every feeling and thought spilled out through them.

Our eyes connected for only a few brief seconds before the older woman pulled me into a nearly suffocating hug.

"Oh, Momo, I've been so worried about you," I heard her say sincerely, her tangerine colored hair falling all over my face.

"Tch . . . Ran-can't . . . breathe . . ." I choked out, nearly dropping my books all over again in the process. Finally, the brash lieutenant pulled away, flashing her signature, apologetic grin as she did. I deflated, falling forward as my lungs started to work again.

"Sorry, girlie," she amended, repeating what her eyes had already said. "I haven't seen you for almost three weeks. I was starting to get lonely." Rangiku smiled the way she always did, even before everything started falling apart in our world. I almost had to physically shut my mouth to keep from gaping. She was acting so . . . normal. I had accepted as of late that 'normal' was something that I would probably never see or hear from again, but here it was, plain as day; almost as if it were making fun of me.

"Oh," I blinked in surprise. "I'm sorry. I guess I was just so busy . . ." Rangiku's gaze softened a little.

"Momo," she started, her voice honest. "Don't worry about Izuru. He's been having a really hard time lately, but he doesn't really want to be angry with you." I stared, surprised at her sudden words.

"Oh," I breathed in spite of myself. Coming from one of my closest friends, I was almost tempted to believe her soft-spoken promise. Almost.

But she was wrong. I had seen it on Izuru's face: he didn't want anything to do with me now. He was treating me exactly like I didn't exist any more, which was somehow worse than when we had been openly arguing with each other. Rangiku didn't seem to agree, though.

"You're still our Momo," she stated with finality of absolute confidence. Suddenly, her face lit up with the kind of childlike expression that she was able to switch on so effortlessly. "And besides, the Captain wouldn't let Izuru get mad at you."

Rangiku smirked knowingly, and I was suddenly reduced to a bright, cherry red, blushing so furiously that I could have passed for a quality heater. I looked up at the ceiling, attempting to retain my dignity and trying not to imagine what might have been going through my friend's head right about then.

She laughed at my expression, a true, genuine laugh, and I suddenly decided that it was worth having Ran make fun of me. Just as long as I could keep her exactly as she was.

M-A-K-I-N-G-E-N-E-M-I-E-S

It was the place I sometimes went when I dreamed.

A small, spring courtyard encircled on all sides by gorgeous sakura trees. Every couple of the coral-tinted plants that surrounded the stone clearing would be a sunset gold color, instead of pink like the rest. Paper lanterns of the same violent shade of pink were strung taut over the clearing, each hand-painted with dark, obsidian caligraphy.

Way up in the sky, a menacing, burnt-orange moon hung overhead, the only thing there to illuminate the scene with it's milky, amber glow. At the center of the courtyard, an ornate, silver lantern protruded from the cobblestones ground, curving over and kindling a single, independent flame. I had become very accustomed to it all.

Something was different this time, though.

The clearing, normally empty and bare, was occupied by a single soul, who sat elegantly on the maplewood bench close to the edge opposite me. Her pale legs were crossed like a princess' and her hands folded neatly in her lap. A blanket of obsidian hair fell over her shoulders, making the gold of her eyes and kimono even more striking.

I breathed deeply, taking in the sight that I had not witnessed in almost six months; ever since the day Captain Aizen betrayed the Soul Society.

She seemed to be waiting for me; this girl in the confines of my mind. She did not speak, instead beckoning to me with her honeyed eyes. I started toward her, taking notice of the change in my own outfit. I was now clothed in a kimono resembling the girl's, but woven from peach-colored silks.

Passing the invisible halfway point of the lantern, I got a better look at my subliminal visitor. She could definitely pass for someone of nobility, and her mouth curved down, as if she were about to have to scold a small child.

I stopped when I reached her. She gazed up at me coolly for a moment, then stood, acknowledging my presence. We were almost face to face, now, the tension so thick it threatened to strangle me. The girl's eyes remained somehow cool and intense all at once. Finally, I decided that enough was enough; that we couldn't simply stand there all day if I had been brought to this place for a reason.

I raised my head, daring to speak the girl's name. She waited patiently.

"Hello . . . Tobiume."

M-A-K-I-N-G-E-N-E-M-I-E-S

A/N: Dun DUNNNNN! Can anyone tell me if I'm spelling 'Nnoitra' wrong? Spanks! Read&Review!