19 Down Time.

Bikou and Starrk both lay on the ground with bruises on their faces.

Not from fighting each other in an epic battle.

But from the tiny fists of one angry young lady.

" Ow, my face hurts!" Bikou groaned.

" Why'd you hit me, too?"

Lilynette looked down at the two men, still angry over being dragged into their fight. " Well, you shouldn't have landed on top of me, you jerks! What was that about anyway?! You couldn't go somewhere else?!"

Bikou and Starrk groaned once more, before sitting up off the ground. 

" Well, I'm done. I don't like getting beat up for nothing." Starrk muttered. 

Bikou was slightly annoyed but understood. 

" That sucks. See what you did, shorty? You ruined the mood."

Lilynette raised her middle finger and stuck her tongue out at Bikou, as he dusted the sand off of his body.

" Whatever. Guess, I'm satisfied for now." Bikou muttered. " He grabbed his staff and placed it on his hip, keeping it there with his tail as it wrapped around his body. " I guess, I'm gonna go, now. I want to try looking around."

" For what?" Starrk asked. 

" I dunno. But I'll think about it on the way." Bikou muttered. " You know, there was a guy chasing after me a while back. Barragan, I think his name was. Supposedly he was a king or something, I don't know. Maybe I'll go check that out. See what that guy can do. Or maybe I'll go looking for someone else to play with, I... I'll figure it out." Bikou exclaimed.

" How long are you gonna be gone this time?" Starrk asked.

" I don't know. How long was I gone last time?" Bikou asked.

" About fifty years."

Bikou fell over face first on the ground. 

" I was asleep fifty years!" Bikou exclaimed. " I had no idea..."

" Really? You were asleep... For fifty years?" Starrk asked the man. " I've never heard of anyone sleeping that long. What happened?" 

" I don't know." Bikou told the man. " Some strange, all white Hollow showed up and attacked me. And then..." Bikou stopped for a moment to remember the battle, that to him felt just like yesterday. " I was cut across the back by a sword.... I don't know how, but it was strange. At the time I just assumed it was the Hollows ability. But I'm not certain."

" A strange all white Hollow?"

" Yeah. It was powerful, but it acted like a mindless beast. It just kept on attacking. I eventually managed to kill it, and then I ate it. That's how I got here." Bikou stated. " But it feels weird. Being asleep for fifty years. Damn." Bikou muttered. " Oh well, I guess it's in the past now. Anyway, take it easy, Starrk. I'll see ya when I see ya." 

Bikou waved goodbye to Starrk and Lilynette as he walked away. Once again being pulled in a direction, seemingly, by the winds of Hueco Mundo itself. 

Starrk watched silently until Bikou had completely vanished beyond the veil of sand and wind. 

" There he goes again." Starrk muttered. " Oh man...." Starrk sat back and let out a sigh of relief. 

" What's the matter Starrk?" Lilynette asked.

" I'm tired now." He said.

" Well, duh. You never fight, Starrk."

" And?" 

Lilynette turned towards Starrk and walked over to him. She took a seat next to the grown man and leaned into his chest. 

" It's not like you, to go fight."

" I know." Starrk muttered. " But it was nice to be able to interact with someone as strong as we were for once." Starrk muttered softly. He then let out a big yawn and rolled over on his side." Anyway, I'm going to sleep. Wake me up if anything happens." 

" Whatever... Jerk..."

.........................

Bikou wandered Hueco Mundo once more, freely. A feeling of boredom spread all over him. 

" Ah, man. I'm so bored!" He groaned. " I hope something exciting happens here soon. I don't care what it is." 

Bikou stopped for a moment and stared up at the night sky. A face very briefly flashed within his mind. 

It was Aizen.

" Eh, That guy. I wonder what he's up to." Bikou muttered. " Nothing good, most likely. I've gotten stronger... But I still don't think I'm strong enough to beat that guy. Not yet anyway." 

Bikou started thinking about his confrontation with Aizen. 

" There was something about him, that I don't understand. His eyes.... he seemed so confident and full of pride... But there was something else... Something more about him, I can't quite name yet. But... Ah, whatever. I'm sure it's just me imagining things again." Bikou muttered. 

He continued walking, but the question did come to his mind.

Why did he think about Aizen all of a sudden?

....................

Soul Society.

*Knock! Knock! Knock!

" Helloooo~ Captain Aizen. You have a lecture to give today, sir." Gin sang through the door. " Open up." 

Gin pushed open, the door to Aizen's bedroom, revealing a room full of technology and computers. 

" Oh? Hello, Gin. I didn't hear you knocking." Aizen muttered softly.

" Yes, you did." Gin joked. " Come on, Captain Aizen. We have a lecture to give at the academy today. We can't be late, you know."

" Oh, that's right. Thank you, Gin. I almost got sidetracked." Aizen told the man.

" Sidetracked? Well, now that's new. You never forget. It must be something quite special to draw your attention."

" Oh, nothing really. Just a theory, I'm working on." Aizen told the man. He grabbed his pair of glasses and brushed his hair down before dawning his captain's robe. He strapped his sword to his hip and walked past Gin, without saying another word.

" Well, now I'm interested." Gin spoke. 

" I'll tell you all about it, later, Gin. For now, let's not be late. After all, our juniors are waiting for us." 

Aizen smiled at Gin, making Gin's smirk grow a little.

Together the two men started heading towards the Soul Society's Academy for Soul Reapers.

As the two men were walking, Aizen looked up at the sun in the sky. " It really is hot today."

" Hm? Did you say something, Captain Aizen?" Gin asked.

" Hm? Oh, not at all Gin. Not at all."