The Dilemna of the Vice Captain

"Oh no. This is no good." A worried voice carried down the hallway, a door left slightly ajar in her haste to reach the office in time. It seemed that someone in the squad had brought in an ill advised pet. Well, not seemed. They had, and now the monkey was running rampant through the offices of the higher ranked members. It's latest victim was in fact the Captains Office, which was now a complete mess. At least the creature hadn't fouled the room up, merely tearing some books apart and tossing papers everywhere. It had hit the 3rd Seated member's office, the 5th seated members office and four of the unseated member's bedrooms.

More worried that it would escape and bring its unsanitary hide to the hospital, Lakshmi (The Vice Captain of the healing squad) had ordered guards on every entrance. Luckily the day had been dreary rain, so all windows were well sealed against this monsters escape. However that didn't help her now that she needed to clean this mess up and quickly. Whatever would she do?

Poking her head through the entrance way of the Fourth Division, Narue looked around with curiosity -- she'd heard there was something going on here through the grapevine and her curiosity had been piqued.

"Mmm, Hato-kun I wonder what's going on?" She looked down at the large plush nestled in the grasp of her arms as she entered the building fully, a skip in her step.

It was quiet for only a moment longer before something ran past her, making loud, shrieking noises as it did so.

Narue's eyes immediately followed what had just run by, catching the slight glimpse of the retreating backside of the anime.

"M...M...Monkey-chan!" Narue exclaimed with an obvious sparkle in her eyes.

The obvious answer was to dump it on one of the seated members who ran by. Lakshmi felt quite a bit bad, but it was nothing compared to what she would be feeling if this former pet went unchecked too much longer. Her notorious Grandmother could appear at any moment, disapproval dripping in her voice. Lakshmi could see it so clearly, the light brown hair curling around a lineless face that belayed how many years on it. The blue eyes icy cold... It was all in her head, Setsuna rarely expressed disapproval in her granddaughter, but Lakshmi was always waiting for that day. In fact Setsuna had been quite warm to her, ever since she arrived here, insisting the heart broken girl call her Gigi and offering a place to stay until she moved into the Seireitei fully.

Using what she knew, against the worries in her head, Lakshmi broke them into pieces and shoved them away. They'd reform in time, but not now. Now she had to find this monkey! All she could find was a trail though of messes, and following tossed papers and other things she didn't want to see, she came around a corner to hear a startled "Monkey-chan!".

A girl with a bird, who she recognized as her Gigi's Vice Captain, was looking off in the direction of the monkey's trail. She had obviously seen the thing. Racking her head, Lakshmi called out to girl as she ran by. "Vice Captain Narue, would you please assist me? That monkey needs capturing!"

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"Vice Captain Narue, would you please assist me? That monkey needs capturing!"

"Hmm?" She turned her head just as the source of the voice ran by her. "Capture...Mmm, okay!" She said, quickly speeding after the vice captain. "How'd Monkey-chan get in here anyway?" She asked once she'd caught up to Lakshmi, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

It wasn't common for these types of things to happen, would anyone even believe it if they heard a monkey of all things wrecked havoc in the Fourth Division? She almost giggled, this was turning out to be a fun and interesting day.

"It was someone's pet! I have told them we of the Fourth Division can't have them, especially too exotic ones like Monkeys. Thank you, you and Hato-kun." Lakshmi answered easily, following a flash of dreamy brown down an intersection. It was small, probably not a real monkey at all but one of the derivatives. Was that what they were called? No matter.

The path the monkey was taking seemed familiar... Oh no! With a flash, Lakshmi realized it must know what it was doing. It might not know like she knew, but it knew that freedom would be gotten if it went this way. This was the corridor leading to the traveling grounds for the Fourth Division! She had ordered the building locked down for the monkey contaminant but if it got out... Especially into the human world!

It wasn't a regular monkey, at least in those terms. It was from the Soul Society or one of them! A hollow would find this spirit tasty... "Narue, its headed for our senkaimon area! We can't let it get out into the human world, it'll get eaten or hurt."

Natural light was coming from up ahead and she finally caught a good glimpse of the thing, a small spider monkey was racing for the door!

"No problem!" She replied with a bright smile, this was already fun.

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"Narue, its headed for our senkaimon area! We can't let it get out into the human world, it'll get eaten or hurt."

"Okay!" She cheered shortly before she began to quickly her pace. "Hmmm? Hato-kun you wanna give it a try?" She was quiet for a short moment before her smile grew. "Okay!"

Without any explanation to Lakshmi, Narue lifted Hato-kun above her head with a single arm as she kept her eyes constantly on the monkey, as if aiming for him; a fire of determination in her eyes.

"Hatooooo-ROCKETTT!"

As if the plush itself were using shunpo, it flew forward at an almost blinding speed from Narue's hard throw. "Go get 'em, Hato-kun~!"

Lakshmi would have fallen if she hadn't had all that training as a Shinigami, still it was telling that she stumbled a bit as Hato-kun was launched like a rocket. It almost seemed like hato-kun was moving itself to make sure it hit the monkey, or propelling itself... Almost like the stuffed animal was live.

The bird hit the monkey just as it reached the courtyard, the force of the hit throwing it's tiny boy forward with an enraged and surprised squeal. It then flew straight through an open Senkaimon just 3 yards ahead, squealing all the time as Lakshmi futilely yelled and dove for the monkey. She skidded on the dirt, mere inches from the edge of the opening as the door closed.

Stunned members looked around and down at their Vice Captain in a bit of worry, but Lakshmi quickly jumped up and pointing. "Open that senkaimon back up! This is an emergency!"

Wait, where was Narue and Hato-kun? Dusting herself she turned to look for them.

"Wahh, ahh-oomph!" Narue landed with a thud on the ground, her beloved Hato-kun having landed directly in front of her. Sitting up, she took Hato-kun into her arms again. "I almost caught you, but I didn't. Sorry, Hato-kun!"

"La-cha-...." Narue looked around, confused. "Huh? This isn't...Ahhhh! We must have fell through the Senkaimon when we jumped for Monkey-chan!"

"Uh-oh, uh oh..." She looked around for a solution, perhaps she could reopen the Senkaimon and return on her own but...She glanced behind her, "We have to get Monkey-chan before he causes trouble!"

With a determined nod, she ran off in search of the runaway monkey.

Getting a Senkaimon open took too long, Lakshmi pacing and trying not to vent her frustration. The long and trying day was only now compounded by a Vice Captain without a Limiter on, running through the Living World at her expense. Lakshmi's glowed on the back of her neck, the bellflower of the Fourth Division.

On her hand was the glow of the first Division's limiter, something she shouldn't have been able to have but had asked for permission for. Soon she would be promoted to the Highest Rank of a Shinigami, Captain, and since it was her fault there was an unlimited Vice Captain running around... Well she needed to fix it.

Finally a slit of light revealing that travel was ready showed, and Lakshmi and her Hell Butterfly took off through the portal.

She landed in dense, deciduous forest. It still had a bit of chill on it, the place somewhere a Spider Monkey would have trouble living in. Oh course Narue would be off in it, all alone... Luckily there was no one out this way, or else it would be bad. Still, Narue would be like a beacon to hollows.

Shunpo steps made Lakshmi flicker from place to place, heading in the direction of Narue. It didn't take her long, out in this forest was much easier than down a hallway. She had worried about hitting someone in there, but there wasn't any worry of that here.

"Narue! You need your limiter!" Lakshmi was more worried about the Vice Captain, and flashed in front of her with her hand held out.

"La-chan!?" She skidded to a halt directly in front of where Lakshmi appeared, stopping herself only seconds before she'd have ran right into the other woman.

Narue nodded, accepting the limiter from the Fourth's Vice Captain's hand, soon the representing flower of the First Division appeared on the left side of her chest easily suppressing her previously unrestricted power.

"Thanks, La-chan." Narue replied with a smile. "I haven't gotten Monkey-chan yet though, but I think I heard him earlier! I heard him in that direction." She pointed in front of her, her finger pointing down a very run down, barely noticeable path in the forest.

"I am glad I caught up so quickly! Thank you Narue, for your help. I really don't think I could do this without either or Hatokun." Lakshmi was sensitive enough and had met Narue enough times to know how much the bird meant, and tried to make sure she thanked both of them whenever possible.

In the living world it was much easier to feel for the monkey and so Lakshmi felt for a second in the direction Narue pointed before pinpointing a location. "He's up ahead about half a mile. I think the little one is scared. "

Now they could focus on the bothersome monkey. Hollows could be on them in a minute, drawn by both their energies and the monkey spirit. In fact their presence probably drew the monstrous beings that much faster, beacons lighting the metaphorical spiritual sky.

"We should sneak up on him quickly, can you Shunpo? If so we can both come at him from the front and back at the same time and snatch, otherwise you can come at him from the back while I shunpo to scare him in your direction. Does that sound good?"

If the girl said it was okay, they could both head for the trouble maker.

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"I am glad I caught up so quickly! Thank you Narue, for your help. I really don't think I could do this without either or Hatokun."

"It's no problem, La-chan! Hato-kun and I are happy to help at anytime."

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"He's up ahead about half a mile. I think the little one is scared. "

"We should sneak up on him quickly, can you Shunpo? If so we can both come at him from the front and back at the same time and snatch, otherwise you can come at him from the back while I shunpo to scare him in your direction. Does that sound good?"

"Mhmm! I can use shun po and that plan sounds good!" She said, giving a thumbs up to Lakshmi. "Let's catch Monkey-chan!"

With their plan set into motion, Lakshmi nodded with an almost wild grin on her face. "I'll take the front then, and you nab him!"

Setting off at a quick pace, Lakshmi reveled in how her practicing over the years had greatly improved the shunpo she could do. The trees flash forward, fast but not fast enough to blind her. It was amazing... The monkey was now in sight and Lakshmi appeared right in front of it, startling it out of its curious playing with the leaves. It bolted back away from her and she hoped Narue was ready...

Narue followed Lakshmi's plan, keeping her position while the other spooked the monkey to run in the opposite direction.

Moving Hato-kun to rest on her head and shoulders, Narue prepared to grab the monkey as it ran in her direction. It was close, closer...

"Gotcha!" She could hear the screeching of the monkey as she moved to grab it, managing to wrap her arms around it much like she did with Hato-kun, tight but not tight enough to hurt it.

It struggled in her grasp, trying to escape as she straightened her posture. "I got him, La-chan! I got him!" She shouted happily.

Chasing the monkey, Lakshmi caught sight of Narue grabbing and holding the little guy tight. The Monkey was obviously upset at being caught and held, so Lakshmi did the only thing she could do. Placing her hand on his head, a swift chant allowed her to put a spell used in the healing division to knock out bothersome patients for a short time. Sighing, the woman felt bad but knew it was their only choice.

"We should take him back home though I don't know where he came from. Hm, he'll either need a new home or a new owner..." Lakshmi waved to the butterfly to help her open the gate back and holding out her arms for Narue to hand over the monkey. It was her division's problem, not Narue's.

"Thank you again for all your help, I really couldn't have done without it."

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"We should take him back home though I don't know where he came from. Hm, he'll either need a new home or a new owner..."

"Mhmm. I hope Monkey-chan can find his real owner though. I know I'd be sad if I ever lost Hato-kun!" Narue said as she handed the monkey over to Lakshmi and brought her beloved plush back into her arms, hugging him to her with a giggle.

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"Thank you again for all your help, I really couldn't have done without it."

"It was no problem! Like I said, Hato-kun and I are happy to help." She flashed a big smile at Lakshmi.

With the monkey out, it was an easy task to take it back through the senkaimon, Narue and Hatokun hopefully following behind her. Still, Lakshmi felt that her thanks were inadequate for the help given. Thinking about it, Lakshmi came to an idea.

"Aha, how would you like to go to a neat little bakery in the Rukon? It has some delicious lotus buns and also serves the best curry this side of the world."

"Uwahhhh? A bakery? Sure!" Narue responded, excitement clear in her voice. "Hato-kun and I would love to, La-chan!"

After all that work a meal would be nice, they'd been running around for awhile now and that had worked up quite the appetite and the place Lakishmi had mentioned sounded like it would hit the spot just right.

"It's been awhile sine I went out to eat in the Rukon, this'll be fun!" She said, moving forward with a skip in her step in order to catch up with Lakshmi.