CHAPTER FOUR

TOSHIRO

He was working on Rangiku's incomplete paperwork when he felt it. Toshiro Hitsugaya tensed and dropped the paperwork.

"Toshiro? Is everything okay?" Sakura Ishida asked from the doorway. She hurried into his office and began helping him gather up the papers that had scattered across the floor.

"I'm not certain," Toshiro admitted.

"What's going on?"

"Captain! Captain!" Rangiku Matsumoto cried as she ran into the office. She looked as shaken up as he felt. "Did you feel it?"

"I felt something," he replied. "I'm just not sure what it was."

"That spiritual pressure... It felt just like-"

"I know, Rangiku... But it's not possible."

"But Captian-"

"Rangiku, something is going on, but until we know what it is, we mustn't jump to conclusions."

She nodded, but he could tell how upset she was. He sighed. "I'll investigate the source of the spiritual pressure," he promised.

"I'll come with you," Rangiku replied.

"It's too dangerous. This may be a trick. I won't risk you coming along."

"Then take me," Sakura said firmly.

"Sakura-"

"Whatever this is has you both freaked out. Let me help."

"The spiritual pressure we both felt seems like it belongs to the former Third Seat of my Squad... Kyori Hattori. That's impossible, however, because she died seven years ago."

"Are you sure she died?"

"Yes," Rangiku replied with sadness in her eyes. "I was there. Renji and I tried to help her, but there was nothing we could do."

"We should definitely find out what's going on," Sakura decided. "I have a bad feeling."

Toshiro sighed. "Alright," he agreed. "We need to get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later. Rangiku, stay here. Take care of the Squad. I'll return as soon as possible."

"Be careful, Captain," she replied.

Toshiro led the way out of his office. Sakura followed right behind him. He couldn't calm his mind as a million possibilities raced through it. Had Kyori become a hollow? Had something somehow absorbed her spiritual pressure? It was too soon for a new Soul Reaper to have been given her Zanpakuto. Whatever was going on, it couldn't be good.

"Toshiro? Talk to me," Sakura said.

Had it been anyone else, Toshiro would have lied about his emotions, but he never lied to Sakura. He'd met her in the world of the living before she died, right after her parents were killed. To his great surprise, he'd gotten attached to her, and they had become friends. When she was murdered, he crossed her into the Soul Society and got permission to enroll her in the Soul Reaper Academy. He'd been a prodigy there himself when he first became a Soul Reaper and he thought it might help her cope with what had happened to her.

Sakura wasn't like other Soul Reapers. She didn't lose her memories of her life upon her death, and because of this, she ended up struggling to let go of who she'd been before. Toshiro helped her make the transition and cope with the loss of her previous life as she embraced her new existence.

She'd breezed through the Academy, breaking even Toshiro's record and graduating in under a year. She was so skilled she ranked at the level of a Captain as soon as she graduated, and she took over Squad Nine a short time after. She achieved not only her Shikai but also her Bankai in that time. That fact caused her to grow even closer to Toshiro because their Zanpakutos balanced each other. His was an ice dragon, while hers was a fire dragon, and when they worked together in battle, they were nearly unstoppable.

"I was very fond of Kyori," he admitted softly. "She was a fierce warrior. I trusted her completely. I hate to think we may need to destroy her."

"You think she's become a hollow?"

"Or she somehow survived and turned evil. It's not impossible. Why else wouldn't she have returned to us or reached out for help?"

"We'll deal with that when we find her," Sakura replied. "No matter what happens, I've got your back."

"I know you do."

They made their way to the world of the living. As they followed Kyori's spiritual pressure, they ended up at a hospital.

Sakura tensed, so Toshiro tried to figure out why. He sensed it, too, then. Uryu's spiritual energy was present, but very faint. "Uryu's injured," Sakura said softly. "He's weak."

"We'll see if we can find him," Toshiro replied.

They headed through the hospital until Toshiro sensed both of the energies at once. "They're together..." He mumbled in confusion.

Sakura raced into the hospital room, forcing Toshiro to hurry in after her. Uryu lay on the bed looking like he was half-dead. He was unconscious.

"Uryu..." Sakura whispered in concern as Toshiro stared at the girl sitting beside him.

"Third Seat Hattori," he said firmly.

Kyori looked at him in obvious confusion. "Do I know you?" She asked.

"I am Captain Hitsugaya of Squad Ten of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Are you Kyori Hattori?"

"Yes, but before you ask, I don't remember anything prior to three months ago."

"How do you know Uryu?" Sakura demanded. "What happened to him?"

"We're classmates... I..." Kyori hesitated. "He's been taking care of me. We were attacked."

"You used your Bankai," Toshiro said suspiciously, "yet you claim to have amnesia."

"Uryu was about to die... The knowledge just sort of came to me. I don't really understand how I did it."

He searched her face for any sign of a lie. There was none. He frowned. She wasn't a hollow, an arrancar, or a vizard. She seemed very much like the girl Toshiro remembered, but she was definitely inside of a body the living could see. "How did you leave your Gigai to use your Zanpakuto?" He asked.

"I didn't. What are you even talking about?"

"That's impossible. You can't use your powers while inside of a Gigai or a mortal body. Even the Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo, has to leave his body to access his Zanpakuto."

"Look, I don't know how this stuff works. I just followed my instincts. Uryu was dying. I panicked."

"What did the doctors say?" Sakura asked.

"How do you know Uryu?" Kyori asked.

"He's my cousin. Just answer me please."

"Oh! You're Sakura," Kyori replied. "I'm sorry. I'm just not sure who to trust, but I know Uryu trusts you. His father won't tell me much and hasn't let the doctors update me."

"Ryuken's here?" Sakura asked in surprise.

"He's the only reason Uryu made it here alive."

Ryuken walked into the room then. "Soul Reapers are not welcome in my son's room," he said in disgust.

"Kyori is a Soul Reaper," Toshiro pointed out.

"She doesn't count. She attempted to save his life. For now, she is allowed to remain, at least until better company arrives."

"Where are Orihime, Chad, and Ichigo?" Sakura asked.

"I tried calling them, but Orihime and Chad didn't pick up. Ichigo is on his way," Kyori replied.

"Again, Soul Reapers are-" Ryuken began.

"Not welcome," Toshiro cut him off. "I understand your stance of this issue, Mr. Ishida, but your son needs his friends right now."

"I will not listen to parenting advice from your kind!"

"You should," Sakura replied sharply. "You suck as a father."

"Enough! Get out of my son's room or I'll-"

"You'll what? Call security? They can't see us," Sakura reminded him. "Have fun in the psych ward."

He glared at her, but she was right and he knew it. "This room is for family only," he said instead.

"Then Sakura should be at my side," Uryu said weakly as he opened his eyes and adjusted his glasses with his index finger. "As far as I'm concerned, she's the only family I have left."

That comment made Sakura smile. Ryuken, however, was not pleased. "This girl is not your family!" He shouted.

"Maybe not by blood, but as far as legal documents go she is, and I'd prefer to claim her as family over you any day."

"She can't make medical decisions for you. She's legally dead."

"That's why I have a healthcare proxy... And it's not you."

"Oh? Who exactly would you trust with your life more than your father who runs a hospital?"

"Pretty much anyone, considering you and I aren't on very good terms. Officially, however, those decisions can only be made by Isshin Kurosaki."

If Ryuken's head could have exploded, Toshiro suspected it would have. Instead, his eyes bulged and he tensed in anger before taking a deep breath, adjusting his glasses with his index finger in the same way Uryu did when he was feeling strong emotions, and asked, "You named a disgraced Soul Reaper as your healthcare proxy instead of your own father?"

"He wasn't my first choice," Uryu admitted. "I'd trust my friends over him, but they're still underage. Mr. Kurosaki is a doctor just like you, and Ichigo can tell him my wishes if I'm not conscious to make my own medical decisions. And for the record, he isn't disgraced. He gave up his powers to save Ichigo's mother. He's a hero."

"He's a fool."

"I don't disagree in that regards, but when it comes to medicine and to battle, he's wise and fierce."

"I cannot believe you did this."

Toshiro had a feeling this fight would go one for a while. "Kyori, may we speak in private?" He asked.

She nodded and followed him out of the room. He studied her, trying to figure out how she could perform a Bankai while in a Gigai. He realized something was different about her energy.

"What do you remember, Kyori?" He asked.

"I told you, I don't remember anything before three months ago," she replied.

"You could not have survived undetected for the last seven years. You died in front of witnesses during a battle."

"That's what Renji said."

"Renji knew and didn't tell me?" Toshiro was furious.

"They only found me a couple of days ago. Kisuke, Ichigo, and the others thought it was best to wait until we figured out more. Renji wanted to tell you and someone named Rangiku right away."

"You don't remember Renji or Rangiku?"

"Not consciously... Although I called Renji Red and commented on his spiky hair, so apparently the memories are somewhere in my head."

Toshiro shook his head. "We need answers, and we need them urgently."

"I'm sorry, but I really can't remember..."

"The knowledge is there. We just need someone to pull it out."

"I know someone," Sakura said as she joined them. "It wouldn't be the first time I asked him for help."

"You're talking about the telepath," Toshiro guessed.

"He helped us when we needed to get Aizen out of everyone's heads. He'd do this, too, if I asked."

"Yes," Toshiro decided. "We need his assistance." He paused.

"Sakura! Toshiro!" Ichigo said in surprise as he ran toward them.

"That's Captain Hitsugaya," Toshiro mumbled, but he knew it was pointless. Ichigo never bothered with formalities.

"I got here as fast as I could," Ichigo said. "How's Uryu?"

"He's going to be fine. He needed surgery for internal bleeding, but the doctors think he'll make a full recovery soon," Sakura replied.

"Kyori, what exactly happened?"

"We were attacked by huge hollows and these men in masks," Kyori replied.

"Men in masks? Like Arrancars?"

"What are Arrancars?"

"Hollows that gained the powers of Soul Reapers. It's complicated, but they're bad guys."

"They were Soul Reapers, I think... I don't know for sure. They had Zanpakutos."

"This is troubling information," Toshiro said.

"Ichigo, where are Orihime and Chad?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, that's another problem," Ichigo replied. "I couldn't feel them, so I called Urahara Shop to see if Kisuke knew anything about where they were. Ururu told me that Tessai and Soi Fon took them to search for Yoruichi in the Soul Society. Apparently, Yoruichi and Soi Fon were ambushed, and Yoruichi got Soi Fon out, but now she's missing. Kisuke went searching for her, and after Orihime healed Soi Fon, they went to join the search." He shook his head. "Stevie knew."

"Who's Stevie?" Sakura asked.

"A new student. She's not a Soul Reaper, but she can see us. She's been drawing all of us, but I don't think she understands what she's drawing... Anyway, she drew Kisuke looking completely devastated. When I asked her why, she said his cat died. I warned him Yoruichi might be in danger. He basically dismissed me until Soi Fon showed up without her."

"How could she know about something that hadn't happened yet?" Toshiro asked.

"I'm not sure. Stevie's different."
He paused before sighing. "There's something I need to tell you guys, but it can't get back to the others. Orihime and Chad told me, but I've only told Rukia."

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

He pulled out his phone. "Stevie also drew this," he said.

Toshiro and Sakura studied the drawing together. Sakura's eyes widened in horror as Toshiro's narrowed in rage. "Byakuya Kuchiki..." He said sharply.

"Standing over a critically injured Kyori," Ichigo confirmed.

"Is he the one who hurt me?" Kyori asked. She moved closer to see the sketch. "Wait... I know him. I dreamed about him."

"What did you dream?" Toshiro demanded.

"I don't remember much... I just kept seeing his face."

"There has to be an explanation," Sakura said.

"Sakura, we have to consider the possibility that-" Toshiro began.

"No. I know him, Toshiro. Byakuya's a jerk at times, but he wouldn't hurt an innocent girl."

"Sakura-"

"Look, he's a bad boyfriend. That doesn't mean he's a monster. We have to look at this through unbiased eyes. I'm sure there's some other explanation for this."

"Rukia doesn't want to believe it either," Ichigo replied. "All I know is that Stevie's seeing things she shouldn't be able to, and it doesn't look good for Byakuya."

"Maybe we should talk to Stevie," Kyori suggested. "She might have the answers we're looking for."

"I'll do it," Toshiro replied. "As the Captain of Kyori's Squad, it is my job to find out what happened to her."

"No offense, Toshiro, but you might scare Stevie off," Ichigo replied. "You're not exactly great with people. Stevie seems to be a typical high school girl. I don't think she knows what she's just been pulled into the middle of."

"I'll go with him," Sakura said. "I was a normal high school girl not so long ago."

Toshiro automatically squeezed her hand. Sometimes, it was still hard for Sakura to let go of her previous existence. "Tell us how to find the girl, Ichigo," he said.

"I'll get her number from Tatsuki and ask her to meet us. Give me a few minutes. I want to see Uryu." He paused. "How bad is it?"

"He looks bad, but like I said, he's on the road to recovery," Sakura replied.

"How did Ryuken explain his injuries?"

"Random gang violence," Kyori replied. "He told them the two of us were jumped and Uryu took the bulk of the damage trying to protect me."

"That's close enough to the truth I guess. Were you hurt?"

"Not really. I apparently have a Bankai."

"Seriously? Nice."

"Nice? Ichigo, Kyori released her Bankai with no idea what she was doing, and she remained in her Gigai as she did it. That shouldn't have been possible," Toshiro said. "Something is very wrong here."

"Uryu and Kyori survived," Ichigo pointed out. "Right now, that's the most important thing. We can figure out the rest later."

"He's right," Sakura said. "If Kyori hadn't released her Bankai, they both could have been killed. Let's be thankful they weren't."

Toshiro wanted to argue that all of this could only bring more trouble, but he decided against it. Sakura was naturally upset that Uryu had been hurt, and now she had to deal with the fact that Byakuya might be involved in whatever happened to Kyori. She was stressed enough without him pushing the fact that something wasn't right.

"Go see Uryu, Ichigo," he said instead. "Then take us to meet Stevie."

As they waited for Ichigo to return, Toshiro studied Kyori and tried to figure out what might be going on. Each of his ideas were more troubling than the last. While it appeared his lost Squad member was alive and well, he couldn't be happy about it until he knew it wasn't part of some sort of devious plot.

YORUICHI
She was getting bored. Her captor liked to taunt her, but he hadn't dared to attack her. Apparently, he was too much of a coward to do that unless he could take cheap shots when no one knew he was there.

I need to provoke him, Yoruichi decided.

"So, what's a girl got to do to get some entertainment around here?" She asked. "You're boring me to tears."

"Would you prefer I torture you?" He replied.

"At least that would give me something to do."

"I could end you, Yoruichi Shihoin!"

"Why don't you prove it? I love a good challenge."

He ignored her, so she added, "Oh, I see. You're too much of a coward to face me head on."

He glared at her. "Don't push me!" He shouted.

She smirked before saying, "Any man with honor would accept a challenge. Prove yourself worthy and maybe you'll earn my respect."

He looked away, so Yoruichi kicked it up a notch and started to cluck at him like a chicken. As she'd expected, the wannabe Alpha male couldn't handle that. He drew his Zanpakuto and opened the cage.

That was all she needed. She had long ago earned the nickname of Flash Master because of her advanced skill with Shunpo, or flash step. She moved before he could even try to attack her, and appeared to surround him as she continued to move impossibly fast, becoming visible in multiple places at once. After that, it was easy to get the arrogant fool on his back.

"Explain this to me," she said as she restrained him. "What, exactly, was the point of all this?"

"You will never understand," he replied, "and I will never explain."

"Oh really? I think you will."

"Kizoku to issho ni. Atarashi chikara banzai."

Down with the nobility. Long live the new power, Yoruichi repeated, filing the words away for later. Whatever this was seemed to be bigger than she'd originally thought.

"Tell me who you are," she said firmly.

"I am but a humble soldier for the cause," he replied. With that, he squeezed his left hand into a fist and proclaimed, "Shuryo!"

His body burst into flames, forcing Yoruichi to jump back. He burned to ash seconds later. She stared at the ashes in shock for a moment before shaking her head.

"What a waste," she mumbled. "Why would he kill himself?"

Three more men in hollow masks burst into the room. They seemed to think they could handle her, but Yoruichi quickly proved them wrong. She put them down quickly with very little effort.

As yet more soldiers entered, Yoruichi grinned. "Now it's a party," she said. "Step on up, Boys. Who's next?"

The battle which followed was harder, but these men were not prepared to handle someone of Yoruichi's power level. She fought them expertly, using flash step and many of her other skills. Every time she flipped one opponent off of her, another came. She used Raioken to punch some of them repeatedly at high speeds. When that wasn't quite enough, she used her best weapon...

Shunko was not for the faint of heart. It combined physical combat skills, or Hakuda, with magic, better known as Kido. Yoruichi had spent a century perfecting it. The only other person who used this technique was Soi Fon, and although she was very good at it, she hadn't completely mastered it yet.

Yoruichi's opponents were quickly neutralized. Their bodies littered the floor. Most were dead. A couple were simply too weak to continue fighting.

Suddenly, the door burst open dramatically, and Yoruichi braced herself for another attack.

"Well... I see I'm a little late to rescue you," Kisuke said with an amused smirk.

Yoruichi relaxed and ran into his arms. "You're just in time," she replied. "We have a mess to clean up."

"Lady Yoruichi!" Soi Fon cried as she entered the room.

"I'm alright, Soi Fon," Yoruichi replied patiently as she gently touched her cheek. "Are you?"

"I'm fine. Tessai and Orihime healed the damage. I can't believe you pushed me through the gate!"

"I refused to let them capture us both, Soi Fon." She turned toward Tessai, Orihime, and Chad. "Thanks for coming. Help me round up the few who survived so we can figure out what's going on. And be careful. The first one I captured killed himself before I could get much out of him."

"That seems a tad dramatic," Kisuke replied casually.

"All he said was, 'down with the nobility. Long live the new power.' Whatever this is, it's part of something very big."

Soi Fon showed her the mark on her arm. "Orihime couldn't reject this. I think it has magic attached to it," she explained.

"This is the mark of the royal family," Yoruichi realized in surprise. "They inverted it... Do these idiots think they can take down the Soul King? Pursuing Noble Clan members is one thing, but the Soul King is too protected."

"He comes out to visit Sakura," Orihime pointed out.

"Not all of him," Yoruichi replied.

"What do you mean?" Chad asked.

"Long ago, the original members of the five Noble Clans locked the Soul King away and used his power to create three worlds... The world of the living, the Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo, where the hollows reside. They kept him locked in the Soul Palace to protect him and ensure the balance between the worlds was maintained."

"Wait... So he's a prisoner?" Orihime asked in horror. "He can't leave?"

"It's for everyone's protection."

"I thought he just chose not to get involved," Tessai said in confusion.

"That's the common belief. I'm from one of the Noble Clans, but even I didn't know the true history at first until I looked into things. The point is, the Reio can only allow small parts of himself out of the Soul Palace, and until Sakura came along, he saw no reason to make the effort. Three parts of him were off on their own previously, and it most likely took a lot of energy to split off a fourth. Haven't you ever noticed he's almost childlike at times, yet flips the switch and becomes fierce and kind of terrifying when it's necessary? This part of him is probably a direct manifestation of his soul. At least, that's my theory."

"Why did he attach himself to Sakura?" Orihime asked.

"Wouldn't you?" Kisuke asked. "Sakura is unlike any other Soul Reaper in history. She has the power to change things."

"What happens if the Reio dies?" Chad asked.

"The three worlds would become one again, and everyone would be in terrible danger," Yoruichi replied. "We have to protect him, no matter what."

"I think we'd better get in touch with Sakura," Kisuke suggested.

Yoruichi nodded. "Tessai, round up our prisoners," she said. "Maybe one of them will give us answers once they realize they can't escape." She hoped she was right. If they didn't figure this out soon, things might escalate beyond the point of no return.

STEVIE
She was hanging out with Keigo, who had insisted on walking her home, when she received a text.

It's Ichigo. Can we talk?

Curious, she replied, Sure. Where?

He texted her an address and told her to meet him in an hour. She looked at Keigo as they reached her front door.

"Thanks for walking me home, Keigo," she said.

"My pleasure!" He replied. "Say, Stevie... Would you like to go out with me sometime? Like, on a date?"

She groaned internally. She'd had a feeling that was coming. "I'm sorry, Keigo. You're a really great guy, but... I sort of like someone else."

His face fell slightly. "Who?" He asked. "Is it Mizuiro? Every girl falls for him! I give up!"

"It's not Mizuiro."

"Then it's Chad, right? How's a guy supposed to compete with the whole tall, dark, and handsome thing he's got going on?"

"No, Keigo, it's not Chad, either."

"It's not Ichigo, is it? He's kind of got this unofficial thing going on with Orihime-"

"It's Tatsuki, Keigo," she admitted to stop his rambling.

"Tatsuki? But she's a... Oh!" He cried as realization dawned on him. "I've been flirting like crazy since I met you! Why didn't you tell me you liked girls?"

"It's not that easy, Keigo," Stevie replied sadly. "I already came out once, in San Francisco, to people I've known for my entire life. I just met you guys... I wasn't sure how you'd all react."

Keigo offered her a smile as he said, "As long as it's my gender you're rejecting and not just me, I'm totally okay with it. We're friends, Stevie. I just want you to be happy."

"Thanks. That actually means a lot."

"And if anyone dares to be mean to you about who you love, I'll defend you with everything I have! I promise. I'll be the fiercest ally you've ever had!"

She smiled back at him. "I believe you," she replied.

"Are hugs okay?" He asked a little shyly.

"Hugs are great," Stevie replied.

Keigo pounced on her, hugging her tightly for a minute before saying, "Now... Let's work and getting you your woman!"

She laughed. "Tatsuki and I are just friends right now," she said.

"Right now, maybe, but we can change that! Stick with me and she'll proclaim her love for you before you know it!" He linked his arm through hers.

She laughed. "Thanks, Keigo," she replied.

He nodded at her. "Anytime, Stevie. I'm here for you." He hugged her again before finally releasing her. "I'll see you at school."

She nodded before heading into her house and immediately going to her room. She quickly changed into more comfortable clothes before heading back out to meet up with Ichigo.

Stevie was startled to see that Ichigo had two people she didn't know standing with him outside of the house. She'd drawn them both before, which was the startling part.

"Hi, Ichigo," she greeted him a little nervously.

"Hey, Stevie," he replied. "These are my friends, Sakura and Toshiro. Come on in." He led her into the house.

Two younger girls sat at the kitchen table. "Ichigo! If I knew you were bringing a guest, I would have made more food!" The one with lighter hair said.

"They're not here for dinner, Yuzu," the other girl replied.

"Don't worry, Yuzu," Ichigo added. "Karin's right. We just need to talk about something."

"Who's they? I only see one person," Yuzu said in confusion.

Stevie's eyes widened in surprise as she realized Yuzu couldn't see Sakura and Toshiro. She wisely chose not to say anything.

"Forget about it," Karin said as she rolled her eyes.

Ichigo led Stevie, Sakura, and Toshiro upstairs. When he closed the door, Stevie asked, "What's going on? Why can only one of them see these two?"

"Karin's more aware of this stuff than Yuzu," Ichigo replied. "Sakura and Toshiro aren't using Gigais right now, so Yuzu can't see them, even if she sort of senses they're here."

"What's a Gigai?" Stevie asked.

"A temporary body that Soul Reapers use to interact with the world of the living."

"Soul what?"

"Soul Reapers... The people in black kimonos you've been drawing."

Stevie was scared, but she also desperately wanted answers. "I think I'm losing my mind," she admitted. "I keep seeing things that aren't real."

"It's real, Stevie. All of it."

She hesitated. "I've drawn you," she replied. "I've seen all three of you before." She pulled the sketch book out of her bag and offered it to Sakura.

"Wow," Sakura said. "That's not a bad likeness. You're very talented, Stevie."

"Thanks," Stevie replied awkwardly. "I don't understand what's happening, or why I keep seeing all of you."

"You have the gift of visions," Toshiro replied. "Have you drawn any more pictures of this girl?" He pointed to the portrait of the man in the scarf standing over the bloody girl.

"Yes," Stevie admitted. She showed him the sketches. One showed the girl dying horrifically in front of a crowd. Another showed her screaming for help while she was hooked up to some sort of machine. The last was a sketch of her back, where a strange mark had been burned into her flesh.

"The royal crest..." Toshiro said in surprise. "It's inverted."

Stevie was suddenly staring at a room full of people. They wore strange masks and carried swords. Each had the same symbol somewhere on their flesh. At the center of the group was the man in the scarf. His head had been severed from his body and the scarf lay discarded on the ground covered in blood.

As the men cheered triumphantly, Stevie began to scream.

"Stevie! Stevie, calm down!" Ichigo shouted. He sounded so far away.

She wanted to listen to him, but she couldn't. The image was too horrifying. She couldn't stop screaming.

Suddenly, someone else stood beside her. She felt Sakura take her hand. "Stevie, it's okay," she said soothingly. "You're having a vision. I'm here. It's going to be o-"

Sakura suddenly stopped as she saw what had caused Stevie to scream. "Byakuya..." She whispered before covering her mouth in horror.

It took Sakura a minute to calm herself down enough to focus. She squeezed Stevie's hand tightly. "Hold on to me. We're going back, okay?" She asked.

Stevie nodded. A few moments later, the vision ended.

"What the hell happened?" Ichigo demanded.

Sakura shook her head, like she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. Toshiro automatically pulled her into his arms to comfort her.

Stevie didn't want to sketch this, but she knew it was important, so she did it anyway. Ichigo watched her closely as she fleshed out the details.

"Byakuya," he said as he realized who she'd drawn. "Are you saying he's going to get killed by these people?"

"I don't know," Stevie replied. "I just saw him like this, and... I felt sick. I couldn't stop screaming... Sakura, how did you come after me?"

"I'm not like other Soul Reapers," Sakura replied. She remained close to Toshiro, but she wasn't in his arms anymore. "I'm also a Shaman. I can enter people's dreams, and apparently, I can slip into their visions, too."

"Thanks for pulling me back. I'm sorry this freaked you out... Do you know the man in the scarf?"

"You could say that... Byakuya is my ex-boyfriend."

"I'm so sorry you had to see that!"

"Don't be. I needed to know. Byakuya is mixed up in all of this, and if we don't help him, he's going to get killed. We have to prevent this."

"How? We don't even know who the weirdos in masks are," Ichigo pointed out.

"We'll find out," Toshiro replied. "And we will learn how they connect to Kyori as well." He paused. "Stevie has a gift she is unprepared to handle. We must ensure she remains protected. I think we need to assign bodyguards to her until this is over."

"Bodyguards?" Stevie repeated.

"We don't know who we can trust," Ichigo pointed out.

"I'll go to Head Captain Ukitake," Toshiro decided. "He can assign those he is certain are above reproach."

"I'll talk to Jushiro myself," Sakura replied. "I need to warn him about Byakuya anyway."

"We'll do it together. I know Byakuya is a sensitive subject for you."

"Thanks, Toshiro."

"Alright, I'll take first watch in the meantime," Ichigo said. "Stevie, you're crashing here tonight."

"My parents don't know you," Stevie protested.

"Do they know Tatsuki yet?"

"Yes, I introduced them."

"Tell them you're staying at Tatsuki's place. If I tell her it's for your safety, she'll cover."

"Does she know about all of this?"

"Not exactly. Tatsuki has a high spiritual energy, so she senses hollows and things, but she can't exactly see them. She's not directly involved, but she knows enough to listen if I tell her it's important she do something."

Stevie sighed. "Alright," she agreed. She hated lying to her parents, but she knew she wasn't safe right now. Whatever she'd stumbled into the middle of was dangerous, and she needed all of the help she could get.

There was a knock on the door. "Is everything okay?" Karin asked as Ichigo opened it. "We heard screams. I told Yuzu to make some tea to distract her."

"We're okay, Karin," Ichigo replied. "Stevie needs to crash here tonight."

"I'll make up Rukia's old bed." Karin paused. "How have you been, Toshiro?" She asked.

"I'm fine," he replied stoically.

"Stop flirting with my sister, Toshiro!" Ichigo snapped. Toshiro and Karin glared at him identically before Ichigo started laughing. Karin kicked him for good measure.

"Ouch! Alright, I'm sorry," Ichigo said as he rubbed his leg. "I couldn't resist."

"Come on, Stevie," Karin said. "I'll save you from spending any more time with my idiot brother."

Ichigo nodded, so Stevie followed Karin away. "So... Are you and Toshiro a thing?" She asked awkwardly.

"No way," Karin replied. "Yuzu and my dad made assumptions because he's a boy, and Ichigo's just a jerk. I'm not looking to date anyone, not even someone as cool as Toshiro. I mean, for a little grade schooler, he's awesome, but boys are stupid."

"For the last time, Karin, I am not a little kid!" Toshiro snapped from the other room.

Karin laughed, and it put Stevie at ease. "You're pretty cool, Karin," she said.

"Thanks," Karin replied. "I like your hair."

Stevie smiled. "I like purple. It's pretty common for kids to dye their hair in America."

"You're from America? Cool!"

"Oooh, she is?" Yuzu asked excitedly as she came to the door with tea. "You can tell us all about it over tea!"

Stevie shrugged. "Sure," she agreed. If she was having a sleepover with Ichigo's little sisters, she might as well make the most of it. "Just let me call my parents, and then we can talk."

She made the call, and her mother was excited she had made a good enough friend in Tatsuki to be sleeping over at her house so soon. Stevie felt bad for lying, but she did what had to be done. Once she hung up, she settled down for what she suspected was going to be a very long night.