2/3

"Me either!" Hisagi said. "But don't let this fuck you up, okay? If you believe in her, then be what she'd want you to be."

"…fine." Renji grumbled sullenly.

"And you, Hinamori," Hisagi said, "you may wanna keep that on the down low. You may be a vice-captain, but people don't take kindly to people believing in traitors- alleged traitors, that is." He said, changing the wording as he saw Momo's expression.

"For now, just…" He sighed. "Just remember her as she was to you, and keep going. That's what she'd want, I'm sure."

The silence came back, and eventually, they dispersed. There was no peace to be had, but at the very least they had their minds a bit clearer.

Although lost and down on her luck, even with the weight of uselessness hanging over her, Erza was practically minded. She had a new world to live in, and she had to adapt. She would make her way here, for as long as it took. That meant blending in as a human, and pulling her weight.

That first order of business, blending in, meant paying Urahara Kisuke a visit. It grated on her to do so, but unfortunately he seemed to have a monopoly on practical gadgets like those- and, if Masaki were to be believed, quite a few other things. From what she gathered, he was every bit as shady as he seemed, but always too necessary for anybody to object. She resented being indebted to him- he had been right about Aizen, and it may well have been that he was innocent of treason, but that made him no less untrustworthy in Erza's eyes. She did not want to owe him money, or favours- she had had quite enough of owing something to untrustworthy, manipulative bastards.

But reality, of course, was that she didn't have much of a choice. If she wanted a gigai, to fit in among the people as one of their own, then to Urahara's shop she had to go.

So it was that, after having decided that two weeks was enough time to wallow in self-pity, Erza found herself outside his store. The bespectacled, muscular man stood waiting for her, and wordlessly pulled the door open, motioning for her to come inside. Somewhat suspiciously, one hand on Tetsu no Tama's scabbard, Erza stepped inside. When last she had been here, Erza had spent most of her time in a room near Isshin's. Now, it all looked so strangely different- familiar, but different, with the daylight shining in on the shelves, full of petty goods- goods that she suspected were there only for show. Urahara himself stood behind the counter, lazily leaned over it, a grin on his face.

"Why, miss Scarlet!" He said cheerily, as she slowly walked up to him. "What brings you to my humble store?"

"I need something, and you're the only one who can get it for me." Erza said bluntly. "I've no interest in playing games- I have come here because I need a gigai. What will it cost me?"

Urahara sighed theatrically, and said, "Has anyone ever told you that you suck the fun out of things? A gigai, yes… a gigai, that we can arrange. But those are expensive… extensive man hours assembling complex parts, all put together with a positively brilliant scientific method… why yes, they are quite costly. What's a humble shop-keep to do, just hand them out?"

"I said, no games." Erza said firmly. "What will it cost me? I don't have any money- not yet. I can't make any either, not without looking human. The only thing I can offer is myself- and not in that sort of way." She said the last part sharply.

"What sort of way?" Urahara said innocently. "I have no idea what you are talking about, miss Scarlet. You must have a very dirty mind, making all these assumptions about innocent store owners."

"You are anything but innocent, you scoundrel." Erza said, furrowing her brows. "Will you do it or not? I won't get down on my knees and beg- tell me what I must do, and-"

Urahara snapped his fingers, and a door opened to the side of the room. Out stepped a replica of herself, although slightly different-looking, wearing simple modern clothes- a T-shirt, jeans, and a pair of brown leather shoes. Her hair, Erza noticed, was shorter, and a dark shade of brown instead.

"I started working on it the morning after you arrived," Urahara said, shrugging casually as if he hadn't set this up for dramatic effect, "as a side project, for my amusement. You would eventually need one, and where else would you get one?"

"…that makes sense." Erza said cautiously, examining the gigai up close. It looked her in the eye, and said,

"Hello!"

"And that would be the mod soul I am using to keep it moving whenever you would be out of it." Urahara said. "I modelled her to look like you- only a bit more… Japanese. You don't exactly look like you are from around here- so I took some liberties."

"I have no problem with that." Erza said, nodding. "What will it cost me? Like I said, I have no money."

"Miss Scarlet," Urahara said smoothly, walking out from behind the counter, holding his cane up, "I am a businessman. Yes, you have no money. But like you said, you can make no money without it. This gigai? It is yours. Consider it an investment."

"No strings attached?" Erza said suspiciously.

"Oh, strings are attached all over it," Urahara said cheerily. "I will not expect money for it. An appropriate price would require the salary of, say, the CEO of a major company. You, with no professional education, wouldn't make an iota's worth of that, if you managed to land a job. Human currency has limited use to me, anyhow. No, what's important is having an associate to call upon- somebody powerful, talented, with lots of potential. You will owe me favours, Erza- quite a few. If I need an errand run, you will run it posthaste, no matter how small it will seem."

"I won't do anything that's wrong," Erza said, looking him in the eye.

Urahara looked back, a glimmer in his eye. "Five years. Five years of servitude, and I will consider this paid in full. Mind you, I won't have you slave away in the shop- I have that covered already. Errands, of a kind that require competent muscle, that is what I will need you for. And no, I will not abuse or manipulate you. You stood up to Aizen, of all people- what luck would I have?" His grin went away, and with a serious tone, he said, "You do not trust me, Erza Scarlet, and you are right to do so. You are stuck in a strange world, and trusting strangers is foolish. I am not a saint by any means, but I am not Aizen, and I will not ask anything of you that you would find morally objectionable- mostly because you would probably refuse. But at the end of the day, I am not a harsh taskmaster, or a bad man to work with. Don't think of this as indentured servitude- think of it as a partnership."

"You talk a good deal," Erza said, scowling. "So did Aizen, and he was more convincing than this. But… for now, I'll take your offer. But if anything seems off…"

"Then the deal is also off!" Urahara said cheerily. He extended his hand. "To the future, miss Scarlet."

Hesitantly, she took his hand, and shook it.

"Well, go on then," Urahara said with a smile. "Try it on. It's yours."

Two minutes later, Erza walked out of the shop, looking very much like a Japanese citizen. In her pockets were papers, ID documents naming her Eruza Sukaretto, complete with information on her supposed date of birth, hometown, and even a certificate of having graduated eighteen years' worth of schooling- she wasn't quite sure how the education system worked in this country. She'd have to figure that out later. At any rate… she was good to go.

Finding work, though, was not exactly easy. It wasn't like she had no experience with being human- eighty odd years ago she had been alive, doing work and earning money. But this world was… different. There were no mage's guilds, and no monsters to slay for pay, or the many odd jobs that required mages. In this time, in this world, you had to have papers proving you existed, and you had to have papers proving you had gone to school… and if you hadn't gone to school long enough, you couldn't get anything but the lowest jobs. It was frustrating. She had been a powerful, adventurous mage, and after dying, she had been a military officer. This world seemed to have no need for either one.

Directly after receiving her gigai, she had started searching. She had applied to work at stores, wherever they could be found, and had been turned down seven times before lunch. She had applied for part time jobs. She had even tried her luck in a bar, where there was an opening for a bouncer- a job that she could actually do, and do well. But the owner had taken one look at her, and laughed- they needed big, strong men, he had explained, not women. It had taken some restraint not to punch him when he suggested that maybe she could work as a server if she put on a miniskirt.

Human life was hard. Obnoxious, even. She had faith in herself, she knew she was talented and strong- but Japan did not seem to share her belief. It was nearly evening when she at last sat down on a bench in Karakura, having been turned down more times than she cared to count- thirty, at least?

Then, as if by providence, she saw a kid walking out from a building down the street, with a big grin on his face. He carried a practice sword, an unmistakable item for her. Intrigued, she stood up, and walked down toward the building he had left. As she came closer, she saw a big sign, saying

'TATEWAKI DOJO'

A dojo. A place to learn sword fighting. She took a closer look. It wasn't the most impressive thing- it was a locale squeezed in between a sushi shop and a shoe store, its sign looking a bit worn. Would there be a place for her there? Probably not. Would she try? Yes.

Decisively, she opened the door, and walked in. Although the exterior had not been impressive, the inside looked decent- it was roomy, well lit, and past the small entry hall was a large room, filled with mats, with sword stands and protective equipment, everything you needed for kendo practice. Half the room was filled with boys, probably no older than twelve, practicing with their swords, doing one swing after the other under the instruction of their sensei. It looked all right, but she saw room for improvement- the kids seemed all right, but with proper instruction, they could be really good.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Erza looked around, to see a middle-aged man, wearing a kimono with the dojo's logo on it. "I don't believe we've met. Are you here to pick up your son? Or little brother, perhaps?"

"Oh, not at all," Erza said. "I was just curious. It's a decent place, this."

"Thank you, ma'am," The man said, nodding. "We try our best to make this the best dojo in Karakura. We provide practice for children ages eight to twelve, as well as teenagers and young adults. Are you interested in taking it up? It's a fine hobby, even for girls. Teaches you discipline, gumption, all the things a man- er, person needs to succeed in life."

Erza stopped herself from laughing. "I'm looking for work, actually. You seem a bit short-handed, and… well, I'm pretty good at sword-play, and I have experience teaching."

"You?" The man said, frowning. "No disrespect, ma'am, but what would you know-"

"I am willing to bet I know more than most here." Erza said. Realizing that might come off as arrogant, she added, "No offense."

"You are a strange one." The man said, almost scowling now. "But I'm afraid we have no openings. Business is slow, the economy isn't what it should be, and so on. I'm sure you know how it is."

"Try me." Erza said firmly, balling her fists. "Your best. Against me, right now. If he can land one hit on me, I'll leave and you won't hear from me again. If I win… you give me a job."

"That's not how it works!" The man snapped. "I am in charge of this dojo, and I hire based on competence in teaching, not just sword fighting- and there's no room in our budget!"

"Come now, old man," said a younger man, approaching the two, a helmet in one hand and a sword in the other, "if she wants to try, let her. Could be a fun distraction, right?"

He was young- old enough to have graduated a professional school, but much younger. Tall and muscular, he exuded confidence- he was probably their best.

"I'll be more than a distraction." Erza said. "I'll fight you- or anyone else."

"I'm Seiji." He said, smiling and extending his hand.

Erza shook it, with some hesitance. "Erza Scarlet." She said.

"Have it your way," the older man grumbled. "You can't help but chase after anything in a skirt- but I'm not promising anything."

"Well, there you go," Seiji said cheerily. "Get suited up, and I'll meet you out there in the hall. It'll be a good opportunity for the kids to learn something."

Erza nodded, and a few minutes later, she stood on a mat out in the hall, wearing the full suit of protective padding, a helmet covering most of her face. The children had stopped practicing, all of them looking at the two of them, whispering excitedly. Erza stood ready, holding a simple bamboo sword up in a basic stance.

"All right, kids," Seiji said, "this lady here says she is very good. I don't know if she's telling the truth- maybe she is. Either way, I want you to pay attention." He looked directly at Erza. "I won the regional championships twice before I started teachings, and I never heard of anybody on a professional level named Erza Scarlet. You better be as good as you say, because I won't hold back even if you're a girl."

"Just go." Erza said coldly. The only possible restraint here was her gigai- she couldn't move as fluently in it as she could inside her soul-body, but even then, she could read Seiji pretty well.

"All right," he said. Quickly, he stepped forward, with a quick, decisive swing coming down on her- and before he knew what had happened, Erza had sidestepped, and stabbed her sword forward, hitting him square in the chest.

"Point to the challenger!" The manager called out.

"Well… that happened." Seiji said confusedly. "Try again?"

"Just a fluke, I'm sure," Erza said, keeping a neutral tone. She was not one for gloating. Again, they took their stances. This time, Erza took the initiative, surging forward with speed. Seiji tried to parry and counterattack, but Erza was too quick, her sword batting his aside, hitting him over the head.

"Damn," Seiji muttered, sounding a bit annoyed, "you're… faster than you look."

"Two times is nothing." Erza said dismissively. "Again."

"Have it your way," he said, taking a stance, looking far more cautious now. Erza simply took the initiative, surging forward. Seiji parried once, twice, and almost had an opportunity to strike- but Erza caught his sword, directed it into the floor, and whacked him over the shoulder.

"Three to one for the challenger!" The manager said.

"Three times is nothing, right?" Seiji said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Correct." Erza said. This was not fair, not even slightly, but sparing his feelings was not a priority compared to not having to relive the kind of rejection she had faced today. Again they took a stance, and again it repeated- four, five, six, seventeen times, until the manager finally called for her to stop. Seiji had not come close to hitting her even once.

"What the hell…" He murmured irritably, as they took their helmets off.

"You lean your right foot forward a little too far." Erza said matter-of-factly. "You like a wide, quick swing downward, to either incapacitate your opponent right away, or set yourself up for a counterattack. The problem is that you project your intent very clearly, and any experienced fighter could read it and counter appropriately. The difference in skill isn't even what lost you this fight."

"I should call you 'sensei', huh?" Seiji said, dropping the sword to the floor. "And here I thought I was good at this…"

"You are, for your age." Erza said. "I'm better."

She sighed. "It was not my intention to humiliate you. However, I do not like to hold myself back."

"No, I understand," Seiji said.

"Well, I'll be damned! I've never seen Seiji get trashed like that," The manager said, now with a grin on his face. He extended his hand, and Erza shook it firmly. "Name's Tatewaki Shiro, manager and owner of this place. Seems like you made an impression." He gestured with his thumb at the children, who were looking wide-eyed at her, whispering among themselves. "Why don't you get the training gear off, and come with me?"

Erza nodded, took the training clothes off, and followed Tatewaki into his office- a small, rather Spartan room, with an equally humble desk, and a couple of simple chairs to sit on.

"I'll get right down to business," Tatewaki said, "that was a damn good show, and we could benefit from that sorta talent. Thing is, I can't pay you a whole lot- you're not gonna make rent on this stuff."

"I don't need a lot," Erza said. "I'll work hard, too. And if business gets better and I do well, you could always give me a raise."

"Right down to business as I said, huh?" Tatewaki said, with a small grin. "You got yourself a deal. Come here next Monday, bring your qualifications, and we'll sign a temporary contract. See how it goes."

"Qualifications. Right." Erza said, nodding. She'd have to stop by Urahara's again… "You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Tatewaki."

A couple of weeks passed, and Erza found herself adjusting fairly well. Teaching children was nostalgic- at times, she felt deeply moved, remembering what it had been like teaching her juniors, the friends they had become… mostly, she was just glad to have a job she could enjoy. The pay was quite modest, just as the manager had said, but Erza had never been a big spender to begin with- she gave almost all of her wage to Masaki, who would protest each time. Erza didn't need it, aside from the bare necessities of food.

But as time passed, she realized she could not neglect her training. She did mean, after all, to reach bankai, to gain great strength and, some day far down the line, make her return… and to that end, she had to train.

This realization was followed by another, more irritating realization- that the only person she could turn to was Urahara Kisuke. The man himself did not irk her so much as the fact that he seemed to have a monopoly in matters spiritual, and each time she turned to him, she would owe him more…

She had considered turning to the quincies, but if Masaki was to be believed, the few remaining hated shinigami- and most of everyone- with a passion, and she would be lucky to walk away peacefully if she approached them.

Beggars could not be choosers. If she could hurt, fight, bleed, almost die several times over in the name of her beliefs, as she had in her time in the Gotei, then she could ask Urahara Kisuke for help. It was just that, well, almost dying was a lot easier on her pride than this. So it was that, with a bit of frustration, she turned up at the Urahara shop's front one Saturday morning.

Of course, as luck would have it, nobody answered the door. Grunting in frustration, Erza walked round the back, checking the windows- nobody seemed to be in. After five minutes of annoyed searching, she slumped down on the front porch, resigning herself to a wasted day. What rotten luck- how would she advance, if she had nobody to spar with, to challenge her? With time, she would get weaker- strength needed to be exercised, lest it would wane.

She saw a black cat sitting a few yards down, just by the porch, licking its paw.

"Huh. I didn't figure Urahara for a cat person." Erza said. She sat quietly for a bit, then said, "I wish I was a cat. All I'd have to worry about is keeping my fur neat and clean, and where to find a piece of fish to eat…"

"It is quite overrated," The cat said. Erza was surprised; she hadn't heard cats talk in a very long time- but it brought back memories, memories of talking cats, adventures in Fiore… Happy the cat had been quite the talker, and he was certainly not human. Talking cats was not really unusual- but it was unexpected.

"Is it now?" Erza replied. "You look content as you are."

"I am, yes," the cat said. "And for the record, I prefer quality grade cat food over fish. And cream. Fish is for simpletons." It turned its head to look at her, and it looked as if it would frown, had it the face of a human.

"Oh, I see, mister Cat," Erza said, leaning back against the wall.

"You are not surprised." The cat said. "That is a disappointing first. Usually, people at least have the courtesy to widen their eyes in shock. A talking cat isn't something you see every day, is it?"

"Not for many years, no," Erza said. "What's your name, mister Cat?"

"I am Yoruichi." The cat said, raising one of its hind legs, scratching its ear. "I suppose you are here looking for Kisuke?"

"I was, yes," Erza said, letting out a sigh. "Looks like I am out of luck, though…"

"He is a fickle and silly man," the cat said, with a mild, chastising scorn Erza recognized as that of somebody who could only be a friend- good friends treated each other with kindness, but the best of friends could insult each other like it was nothing.

"He runs little errands now and then, doing lord knows what sort of shady business." The cat- Yoruichi- said. "He could be back in an hour, or in two days… you never know."

"That's too bad. So… how do you know him?"

"Longtime friends." Yoruichi said, her tone indicating the verbal equivalent of a shrug. "You must be that new potential he has running errands for him. I noticed clearly that you were not human, of course. I may not be a scientist, but I know a gigai when I see one, and I sense your energy- well kept, but not well enough."

"You really are knowledgeable, mister Yoruichi," Erza said. "Well… I better get going, I suppose."

"If I did not know better, I would think you either the most cynical, disillusioned spirit I ever met, or plain dumb," Yoruichi said, sounding amused. "A talking cat, and no reaction in sight…"

"Where I come from, we had talking cats." Erza said plainly. "Several of them. I'm not… I'm not of this world, actually. I don't know how, but I never lived and died on this earth before passing."

"Now that is interesting." The cat said, walking over to her, looking at her closely. "So what brought you here?"

"Nothing you could help me with, I think," Erza said. "I need somewhere to train… I need to get stronger."

"They all say that." Yoruichi said dismissively. "I hate to break it to you, but Kisuke is not exactly the training type."

"It's the only place I have to go," Erza said, shrugging. "And if I don't even try… well, there's nothing worse than giving up without even trying."

"You have gumption, I will give you that," the cat said. "So you think I cannot help you?"

Erza looked at the cat, seated next to her, and said,

"No, I'm afraid not."

This really was a curious animal, she had to admit. There were no talking cats in this world that she knew of; magic seemed not to exist at all outside the spiritual realm. But then again, the world was a vast place that she didn't know very well, and there was no reason to question it that she could think of.

Then, suddenly, interrupting her pondering, the cat began to glow. Startled, Erza moved back a little, nearly falling over, as the cat's mass turned into pure light, seeming to expand, and…

There was a mist clearing quickly, and in its place stood a fully grown woman, beautiful and with purple hair- and, it became obvious as the smoke cleared, wearing no clothes whatsoever.

Then, it clicked.

"Purple hair?" Erza said. "Wait- you're that Yoruichi? Shihoin Yoruichi?"

"Glad to see I am still remembered." Yoruichi said, grinning and sitting down cross-legged next to Erza, seeming unconcerned with her own nakedness. She was a strange sort- then again, so was Erza herself.

"As a traitor, mostly," Erza mumbled. "But I guess you were the one who saved Urahara from execution, right? Commander of the stealth corps, and all that…"

"You're not dumb, I'll give you that," Yoruichi said cheerily. "But I'll say the jury is still out on being cynical. A talking cat, which on top of that transforms into a naked woman? What does it take to shock you, Erza Scarlet?"

"Maybe it'd have worked better if I had been a guy?" Erza said, smiling uneasily.

"Somehow, I doubt even that." Yoruichi said. "Training, you said… well, Kisuke does keep a very extensive cellar you could use. Plenty of space to get rough, even if you were captain level."

"You should spar with me." Erza said spiritedly. "You were a captain, once- I could learn a lot from you! And not to beat my own drum, but I think you could learn something fighting me, too."

"Oh?" Yoruichi said, sounding skeptical. "Thanks for the offer, but… that was a long time ago. Nearly a hundred years, actually. Now, I'm just a cat slash naked lady, getting by one day at a time."

"That must be terribly boring," Erza said. "Don't you want to liven things up? Remember how good it felt to use your body?"

"You know, I think like that sometimes," Yoruichi said, the grin on her face fading away a little, "and then I remembered how nicolas cage-awfully stressful being a captain was. Running a whole division, and the intelligence unit as well? That's an ulcer waiting to happen. Everyone is so uptight, so boring… frankly, I have no regrets about leaving. Best decision of my life. Every day's a vacation day."

"No regrets at all?" Erza said. Maybe it were true, but she didn't believe it. She had felt nothing but regret, and unless Yoruichi had hated everyone she knew, there would be people- just like Erza- left behind.

"Well, almost none," Yoruichi said, her voice glib. "But I must decline. Very busy, you see."

"Finding some canned tuna?"

"Exactly that!" Yoruichi said, with an enthusiastic nod, "so if you'll excuse me…"

"Well, you could do that…" Erza said. "You can spend every day drinking cream, eating tuna, and treating all of life as a vacation… but you were a captain, and you did good, as far as I could tell. Nobody goes that far without drive. Without competence. Nobody gets that good without having at least a little pride in what they do." Seeing the look on Yoruichi's face, turning less tolerantly jovial by the moment, she hastily added, "now, I don't know you, but if it were me, I'd want to keep that part of me alive. The one that made me proud. You were in charge of the stealth unit, and you taught the one who leads it now. You're an expert martial artist, aren't you? Isn't that something you were proud of?"

Erza looked at her tentatively, wondering if she had gone too far, if she had been presumptuous, if she had offended her… what did she know, after all?

"Oh, for crying out loud…" Yoruichi murmured, staring into the sky. "I suppose it does get boring sometimes… there's no need for you to make some big, dramatic speech like we were in some movie about an idealistic rookie seeking out a retired veteran, okay?"

"Uh, sure," Erza said, not quite sure what Yoruichi meant.

"Well good, because I'm not going to be your Obi-Wan," Yoruichi said. "But… well, I suppose I could show you a few stretches. Nothing fancy. I'm just staying in shape, and if you join in… well, I won't stop you. We'll see where that leads. All right?"

"All right," Erza said.

Yoruichi stood up. "Well, let's get inside. I've got a hell of a cellar to show you…"

In the end, they did a lot more than just stretch. Yoruichi, clothes or none, was quite the martial artist after all.