Rangiku always had strange dreams. Sometimes blissful like her sweet, innocent days of childhood. Sometimes anguishing like the times she got thrashed in her academy days. These dreams were quite forgetful, lingering in her mind for brief moments upon her awakening.

However, the dream that visited her last night was strikingly vivid and surreal; it kept her in a daze for a long time after waking up.

As the door to her chamber creaked open, revealing Unohana and Kazuya stepping inside, she remained fixed in stillness upon her bed, busy reminiscing about the horrible events that took place in her dream.

‘Dream or a long forgotten memory?’

Her intuition and feelings continuously pointed at everything being real — her beatdown at the hands of Shinigami in Rukongai wasn’t a figment of her imagination..

‘But why?’

Kazuya sat by her side and placed a hand on her forehead. “She doesn’t seem sick. Are we sure Arrancars didn’t replace her? The Rangiku I know can never be traumatized from some beating.”

His action brought her out of her thought bubble. Her response was a vacant stare as if she was offended by his remark.

“Are you still the same girl who tried forcing me into becoming an idol for the Soul Society?”

“...”

“Captain, she is an imposter!”

Unohana gently pinched Kazuya’s cheeks. “You might be responsible for her change. Your Zanpakutō, to be precise.”

“Well, I’m not sure myself.” Kazuya shook his head. “I only healed her… Then this happened.”

He had healed her in the heat of the moment without realizing he might heal her incomplete soul at the same time. Then again, his Zanpakutō’s ability had repaired Cirucci’s Zanpakutō, which was also a part of her soul. There was no reason he couldn’t regenerate the part of her soul that was taken by Aizen to complete his Hōgyoku.

The Hōgyoku in his possession.

“This?” Rangiku questioned with a sharp gaze. “Young man, what do you mean by this? Speak or I’ll throw you to the thirsty maidens of the Shinigami Women’s Association.”

“Look at yourself.” Kazuya reached out and weaved his fingers through her hair to bring attention to her extremely long hair. “Your hair can reach your ankles now.”

Rangiku held her hair in surprise. “Woah when did this happen? And why?”

“I have a theory. But before that, do you feel anything different from before? Anything?”

Feeling somewhat like a patient under scrutiny, she laughed lightly. “No, I feel normal—healthier than before. I feel refreshed.”

“The change can’t just be physical. It can be spiritual as well. Like something you felt during your sleep.”

Rangiku’s casual expression shifted dramatically, her wide eyes reflecting a hint of realization. “There is this strange dream I saw earlier. I don’t know  if you can even call it a dream…”

She explained the long-repressed memories that entailed her younger self being beaten almost unconscious by a group of people dressed in the same manner as Shinigami. They had towered over her bruised self, whispering to each other about souls and some experiment.

“That’s all I can remember off the top of my head.”

Unohana adopted a more solemn demeanor, understanding that the dream could be intrinsically linked to the mystery behind Rangiku’s change. “How long ago do you believe it happened? We can’t investigate it without a concrete timeline.”

“It was before my growth spurt… when I was like a little pipsqueak,” Rangiku said, touching the back of her head with a sheepish smile. “To be more precise, it was around the time Captain Ichimaru joined the Shino Academy.”

“It should be enough to get the investigation off the ground.”

“There’s something more!” Rangiku held Unohana’s shoulders with an earnest look. “My Zanpakutō—I can’t communicate with it. Haineko is completely unresponsive.”

Kazuya found himself clicking his tongue in frustration. Muramasa had begun his plan in the Soul Society. From what Kazuya could surmise of Muramasa, Haineko wouldn’t be the only one manipulated to the rogue Zanpakutō Spirit’s side. Muramasa would continue stealing Zanpakutō Spirits until he was confident on breaking the seal on his master, Kōga Kuchiki.

Kazuya had to contain Muramasa before he realized his ambition.

“What?” Unohana uttered in surprise. “Weren’t you very close with Haineko? How did this happen all of a sudden?”

Unohana quite fondly remembered Rangiku conveying her experience with her whimsical Zanpakutō Spirit.

Rangiku rubbed the back of her neck. “If I had to take a shot for all the times Haineko called me ‘old hag’ and ‘washed-up lady’, I’d be wasted for days. She didn’t spare an opportunity to mock my age.”

Kazuya laughed. “People don’t joke around like that with strangers.”

Unohana agreed with a nod, though still puzzled over the mystery. “They stuck with each other for this long. Haineko wouldn’t distance herself from you, unless you had a big fallout.”

Shinigami losing communication with Zanpakutō Spirits was uncommon but it always happened due to clashes in personalities.

“Haineko is somewhat childish and impulsive… I won’t find it surprising if she is mad at me for something small.”

“Well,” Kazuya said. “We can have someone look at your Zanpakutō. We should have some specialists for that, right?”

Unohana nodded her head before shaking it. “He is a Royal Guard. The Creator of Zanpakutō, Oetsu Nimaiya. Getting him to come down from the palace is near impossible.”

Rangiku blinked her in surprise. “It’s better he doesn’t come. I don’t want to mingle with the likes of the Royal Guards.”

She had no problem socializing but the Royal Guard were an exception. She’d rather do her paperwork than make a request to the high and mighty bodyguards of the Soul King.

Kazuya crossed his arms. “Why don’t you rest and recover? I’ll find a way to fix things for you. I fixed mine before so have some confidence in me.”

Rangiku grinned at his direct way of assuring her. “Your Zanpakutō went through something similar, right? I’ll gladly accept your assistance.” She snaked an arm around Kazuya’s shoulder with a sly grin. “Help me, and I’ll be your wingman with Isane.”

He almost rolled his eyes. “I don’t need help with that. Just take me out for a treat, and we’ll be even.”

As if he’d ever need help in wooing women.

Rangiku drew back with a sigh of disappointment. “Your loss then.”

Kazuya only got the offer for help to pursue the cinnamon roll Isane due to his closeness with the two. She knew Isane harboring a little bit of a crush on him, and helping them get together would put her in the good graces of both.

Unohana turned to him, a curious look in her eyes. “Did your Zanpakutō Spirit also go silent?”

“She was scheming a strange plan,” he responded with a light chuckle, dismissing the concern. “I’ll leave the story for another day. Captain, I’ll be heading for my dorms now. Next time I’ll meet you as a full-fledged Shinigami.”

Unohana smiled. “Feel free to prolong your stay at the academy if you wish to spend more time with your friends.”

She wanted him to enjoy his academy life since it would never return. The duty, on the other hand, would go on as long as the Soul Society existed.

Rangiku grasped Kazuya's shoulder, deliberately adjusting her hair to draw his attention to her most eye-catching feature. “Ne, Kazuya. Do you want to stay at the academy or be an adult with us~?”

{Partner, she is asking to be mindbroken!}

Kazuya seared the enchanting view into his mind then pushed Rangiku away. “Momo and Shiro will be more motivated to train if I leave the academy.”

His goals would stagnate at the academy, and stagnation was the last thing he’d want with an enemy like Aizen.

Unohana shook her head, realizing she wasn’t dealing with a normal person. Kazuya was the nutjob who wanted to become an unkillable demon by mastering Kaido. “I gave you the advice. The decision is up to you.”