CHAPTER SEVEN
KYORI
She knew Uryu wanted to ask about a thousand questions, but he remained quiet, simply holding her as she cried and waiting patiently for her to elaborate. She found strength in his arms and slowly began to calm down.

Kyori took a deep breath and shifted until she was looking into Uryu's eyes. She could see the concern beneath his stoic exterior. "I knew the hollow would kill me," she began. "I also knew it would kill everyone else if someone didn't sacrifice themselves." She couldn't go into the details of her death yet. It was too much to process. "I had no regrets."

"That was incredibly brave of you," Uryu replied.

"I was confused when I woke up. I was in a strange room, and there were machines everywhere... And Masashi was sitting beside me. At first, I thought I'd somehow survived, and that maybe I was at Squad Four's barracks being healed, but... Well, that wasn't where I was."

He didn't ask anything, instead waiting for her to continue again. Kyori knew she had to tell him or she'd go insane. She hadn't told the others. Orihime probably couldn't handle something so dark, and Shuhei would be furious. There was no telling what he'd do and she didn't want to risk him getting involved. Trerry obviously knew, but he hadn't pushed her to discuss it. Rukia had come for Trerry while he was still breaking Kyori's programming, but they'd left as soon as he was done. She'd told Shuhei and Orihime she was exhausted, which was true, before she ran up to Uryu's room in the hospital.

"They call themselves the New Power," Kyori began slowly. "They are the same people who put you in the hospital. They're mostly Soul Reapers, although they have a few human allies who have special powers, like Orihime and Chad. The group is run by a hierarchy of four people... The most powerful is a person they call the Nameless One. I never met him, but I heard them talk about him. He's extraordinarily powerful and I don't think he's a Soul Reaper, at least not in the traditional sense. Next is the man who runs everything. He never told me his name, and no one uses it, but I figured out this much; he's an exiled Soul Reaper. He is powerful and great at manipulating people. Behind him is Arato Yamamoto."

"Yamamoto... As in...?" Uryu asked in disbelief.

"He is Captain Yamamoto's younger brother. People think he's dead. He vanished centuries ago. He is extremely powerful, and he's gifted with Kido. Arato never directly harmed me... Actually, he was the one who would heal me when the others went too far... But make no mistake; he's a deadly enemy."

"And the fourth leader?"

"Her name was Chiyoko. She's from one of the lesser Noble Clans. She is brilliant and sadistic. Chiyoko is in charge of their technology and experiments. She enjoys inflicting pain on others." It scared Kyori to talk about Chiyoko, but she tried to keep the fear out of her voice as she continued.

"When I was coherent enough to ask questions, Masashi explained things to me," she explained. "He told me that I died, and my soul was so shattered the Soul Reapers couldn't fix me. He was determined to help me, so he started looking for answers, and the New Power recruited him. He initially worked from inside the Soul Society as a spy, but Soi Fon put him on a leave of absence, so he joined them in the world of the living full time. After Chiyoko and one of their special human allies managed to piece me back together and reform both my soul and my Zanpakuto, he helped them take care of me until I was strong enough to be revived."

"So Masashi betrayed the Soul Reapers?"

"He said he did it to save me... But he changed, Uryu. Or maybe his true colors just finally came out. He started hurting people... He captured targets for them and then helped them experiment on them... He even started helping them experiment on me. He said he had no choice, but he enjoyed it. I could tell."

"What did they do to you, Kyori?"

"I don't even know everything. I know I am trapped in this Gigai. If I leave it, my soul might shatter again. Somehow, they created a type of Gigai which enables its user to access their Soul Reaper powers. I'm pretty sure that was Chiyoko's creation." She hesitated. "They put programming in my head to hurt people... Nobles, Captains, Lieutenants... Whoever they viewed as the enemy. Someone Sakura knows named Trerry broke it and restored most of my memories."

Uryu nodded. "Trerry is very good at what he does," he said. "You shouldn't have any programming issues."

"Good, because if Orihime hadn't shown up, I might have killed Shuhei." Her chest ached as she thought about what she'd done to him. "I tried to strangle him, Uryu."

"Is he alright?"

"I think so. Orihime's shield seemed to heal him."

"Actually, her power is called rejection. She appears to heal by rejecting the reality she faces. She simply reverses the damage until the person returns to their previous state. Her shield is also rejecting whatever someone tries to do to someone else."

She nodded, trying to understand the unique gift. After a minute, she said, "I was dead for two years before they finally revived me. The five years that followed were..." She shook her head. "It was bad, Uryu. They wanted to control me, but I kept thinking about Captain Hitsugaya, and Rangiku, and Renji, and my other friends, and I couldn't betray them. I held on to that and started plotting my escape as they trained me. I played along and pretended to support the cause, but I was never loyal to them."

Uryu looked horrified. "I'm sorry... You must have been so scared."

"I was, but I knew what I was fighting for, and it was worth it." She hesitated. "I saw Byakuya in my memories, Uryu."

"So he was there?" Uryu asked.

"He was, later on... And for a while, he participated in their activities... His face was expressionless, and he was terrifying... He did a lot of damage. But sometimes, I saw a spark of the man I knew before."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No. He helped train me, which was interesting, because I always admired his battle skills as a Captain. I tried to get through to him, but it was like he was someone else, a monster bent on destruction and bloodshed."

"So, he was basically Kenpachi?"

She actually cracked a smile at that. "Not quite that bad. He was still dignified in everything he did, but it was like he'd turned much darker and more menacing."

"Are you sure he didn't hurt you? Stevie drew him standing over your bloody body."

"He didn't hurt me, Uryu... Byakuya Kuchiki saved me."

"What do you mean?"

"I nearly escaped. I put my plan into motion, and I got close, but Masashi... Masashi found me right before I could. He dragged me to Chiyoko and the leader whose name I never learned. Chiyoko injected me with something to weaken me and then left me with the leader. He attacked me... I was beaten worse than I've ever been beaten in my existence. It hurt so much more than dying did. Every inch of my body ached and was covered in blood and bruises. He lost control of himself. He was insane, Uryu... And he wasn't going to stop. He tore at my clothes with his Zanpakuto... He was going to..." She shook her head. She couldn't say that part aloud.

Uryu looked furious, but he took a deep breath and calmed himself, probably to keep from scaring her off. "Did it go further?" He asked.

"No. All of a sudden, there were cherry blossoms everywhere, and the next thing I knew, he was pulled off of me."

"Cherry blossoms?" Uryu repeated. Realization flashed in his eyes as he added, "Byakuya..."

"I think the only reason he didn't release his full Bankai was because I would have been killed, too. He very calmly told the leader enough was enough and that if he killed me, he would be destroying a project they'd all been working hard on, which would be a waste."

"Did the leader listen?"

"He calmed down a little bit. He basically left me there to die and said I'd only be worth keeping around if I survived."

"What happened after that?"

"I was dying... Again, that is. Byakuya tried to heal me with Kido, but it wasn't working. He knew I stood no chance of survival. He told me no honorable man would violate a woman's body without permission and he would not leave me in a place where it might happen. He carried me out of the building and used flash step, and we ended up in the alley. He set me down gently and promised I'd be safe and help would find me. I blacked out after that, and the next thing I knew, I was at Urahara Shop."

Uryu looked relieved. "Byakuya must have been being controlled somehow. I'm guessing seeing a girl about to get raped snapped him out of it enough that he was able to help you. He's not the sort to stand for that."

"He's in prison, Uryu... I have to help him."

"We'll make sure words reaches Jushiro. Hopefully, between your memories and Trerry's abilities, there will be enough evidence to release Byakuya."

Kyori nodded. "I'm so exhausted..." She mumbled.

"Rest, Kyori. You've earned it," Uryu replied. "And you're safe here with me."

"I know," she said. "Thanks for taking care of me, Uryu. To say I have trust issues is an understatement. The New Power is using some active Soul Reapers as spies. I don't know who they are, and that leaves me uncertain who is on our side and who's secretly one of the bad guys... But I know I can trust you."

"I'm here, Kyori," he promised. "Just try and get some sleep. We'll deal with all of this in the morning."

Left with no other options, Kyori snuggled against Uryu and tried to fall asleep.

KISUKE
He sat with the hollow at the kitchen table. She didn't look like a hollow. Her soul chain was missing, but she didn't have a hole in her chest. If she hadn't been transparent, he might have mistaken her for a living person. It was only the energy inside of her that gave it away, and even that was fairly muted.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" Kisuke asked politely.

The hollow opened her mouth, but nothing came out aside from a slight choking sound, like she was trying to breathe but couldn't get air into her lungs. "Wow," Kisuke mumbled. "Someone really did a number on you... Alright, let's try this. I'm Kisuke Urahara. Do you understand me?"

She nodded. "Excellent! At least I know you can answer yes or no questions. I wish I knew what to ask..." He laughed. "Oh well! Make yourself at home, honey. I know you're scared of something, but whatever it is, it can't get to you here."

"Did you bring home another stray?" Tessai asked as he came into the room.

"I did. I'm still trying to figure our new friend out, Tessai. Any theories?"

"She's a hollow... Without a hole in her chest, or a soul chain... I'm a bit confused. Let me examine her for a bit and I'll see what I can come up with. Where did you find her?"

"In Uryu's hospital room."

"How curious."

"I thought so, too. Ryuken seemed intent on destroying her, so it's lucky I arrived when I did."

"Lucky indeed. What do you plan to do with her?"

"For now? Keep her safe. Beyond that, we'll have to wait and see."

THE NEXT DAY.

SOI FON
She had questioned nearly everyone who'd survived after attacking Yoruichi. No one had talked, and most had pushed until she had no choice but to kill them. It was infuriating, and Soi Fon was officially fed up by the time she reached the last two.

The first was an older woman. Most of the others had been men. "Tell me who you are if you want to live," Soi Fon said firmly. "I have had enough of everyone's games."

To her surprise, the woman smirked at her. "You are a member of the Fon Clan," she said.

"How do you know me?" Soi Fon demanded.

"All Fon warriors are the same... Stoic, fierce, straight to the point with a side of murder..." She laughed.

"I only execute those who deserve it. Your friends were on that list."

"Friends? Oh, no... The New Power is not about friendship. I hated most of those fools. We simply share a common goal."

"And that is what, exactly?"

"To destroy the current power structure of the Soul Society and replace your leadership with our own." She paused. "You look like her, you know."

"What are you going on about?"

"Chiyoko. You look like she did at your age. Ask your family about her some time."

Soi Fon frowned. There was something in the woman's tone that concerned her. Chiyoko is important, she decided. She filed the name away for later.

The woman suddenly began using Kido. Her strength grew significantly. She attacked without warning.

Soi Fon countered the initial attack easily, but the woman wasn't ready to give up. She was well trained, and Soi Fon realized that, had she not been on the wrong side of things, she'd have made an excellent member of the Stealth Force. They battled hand-to-hand for a bit before the woman tried to use another Kido spell. It tripled her speed and seemed to increase her strength again.

"Sting all enemies to death," Soi Fon said harshly. In quick succession, she hit her enemy twice in the exact same spot. As always, the second blow was fatal.

Soi Fon turned toward the last of the members of the New Power Yoruichi had left alive. The girl looked young. Her soft blue eyes were terrified as she watched Soi Fon approach her.

"Please..." She whimpered. "I don't want to die."

"Cooperate and perhaps you won't have to," Soi Fon replied sharply. "Tell me your name."

"I'm Silver," she replied nervously. "Silver Nakamura."

"Tell me what your role in things is."

"I have to serve the New Power... Which means doing whatever they tell me to."

"And what did they tell you to do?"

"Things I hated doing... They promised they would help me, but I didn't understand... They experimented on me, made me something else... I can't disobey them."

"Oh? Why not?" Soi Fon asked skeptically.

"The brand... The same one you and Yoruichi have now... It's infused with Kido. Anyone they brand can be controlled by them."

Soi Fon glared at her. "No one controls me," she snapped. She narrowed her eyes further before deciding she'd been insulted enough. "Sting all enemies to-"

"Easy, Soi Fon," Yoruichi said, grabbing her arm and lowering it back to her side. "She's only a child, and she's been through enough."

"She could be lying."

"Look at her, Soi Fon. She's terrified of you. Do you really think she'd lie to you?"

"She's one of them."

"Let's start over. Silver, was it? How old are you?"

"Thirteen... I'm thirteen," Silver replied nervously.

"How did you get mixed up with these creeps?"

"I was sick," Silver began. "I'd always been healthy, but there was a chemical fire at the factory where my parents worked, and I was there that day. No one realized I was trapped in the basement until it was too late. I was exposed to a lot of dangerous chemicals and it poisoned me. My heart and lungs started to fail, and they told me I'd die without a double transplant, but my blood type is rare. I was put on the transplant list."

"You're human?" Soi Fon asked in surprise. Silver's spiritual energy was not normal for someone from the world of the living, and she shouldn't have been able to enter the Soul Society as an ordinary human.

"I was," Silver replied. "Now I'm something else."

"Go on," Yoruichi encouraged her.

"As I got sicker, strange things began to happen to me. I started to see the souls of the dead. I could understand them... They didn't have to speak for me to know what they were thinking and feeling. It was like they were waiting for me. I was afraid of dying, but I found comfort in their presence. My parents had to work around the clock to cover my medical expenses, and I was so lonely... And as I grew sicker, other things started happening."

"You developed more powers the closer you came to death," Soi Fon realized.

"Yes. Things would move as I thought about them. I could bring objects to me or push them away without moving an inch. Toward the very end, I found I could heal others just by touching them... But every time I did, I got sicker and weaker. That was how I met Aoi."

"Who is Aoi?"

"He's one of the members of the New Power. Someone found him trapped beneath a building that had collapsed, clutching a little boy in his arms, and they brought him to the hospital. The doctors didn't think they could save his life. They left him alone after doing what they could, but they were positive he wasn't going to survive. I heard about the boy he saved... He was okay because the man shielded him with his body. He was a hero. He didn't deserve to die... So I snuck into his room and touched him, and he started to heal."

"You saved his life," Yoruichi said.

"Yes... He woke up and realized what I'd done, so he asked me about my situation. He came back two days later with Chiyoko."

"There's that name again... Who is this Chiyoko people keep mentioning?" Soi Fon demanded.

"Chiyoko Fon was exiled by your family for her love of science over bloodshed. The thing is, she enjoys both, but because she focused more on science, your family deemed her unworthy."

The Fon family kicked out anyone who didn't fit into their mold and never spoke about them after they were exiled. Soi Fon knew Silver was telling the truth about this mysterious relative.

"What happened when you met her?" Yoruichi asked.

"She told me she could save me... That she could make it so that I never had to die," Silver replied.

"Everything must die eventually," Soi Fon protested.

"She created a special heart and a set of lungs for me. They are indestructible. She and Aoi branded me, and then they made me leave the hospital with them. Once we were at Chiyoko's workshop, they sedated me. When I woke up, Chiyoko had cut out my heart and lungs and replaced them with the ones she made. They killed me to do it, but they revived me almost immediately. Once I was strong enough, they told me I could never return to my parents, because I wasn't a normal human anymore. I am one of Chiyoko's hybrids... Part human, part Soul Reaper. I don't fully understand how it works, but I know I belong to them, and Chiyoko will never grant me my freedom."

"Consider yourself free from them," Yoruichi said.

"Yoruichi-" Soi Fon protested.

"We're going to find a way to help you, Silver," Yoruichi continued, ignoring Soi Fon. "Until we do, you will remain in the custody of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

"They need me... I'm the one they turn to when Kido is not enough to save someone." She sighed. "I feel as if I owe them for saving my life."

"You've done enough."

"What is Aoi's full name?" Soi Fon asked. "We need to know our enemy."

"His family name is Kira," Silver replied.

Soi Fon's eyes narrowed again. Yoruichi let out a slight gasp of surprise. "Aoi Kira was banished for unspeakable acts against innocents, including children," Soi Fon said.

He's also Izuru's uncle, she added silently. Izuru never spoke of the man in public, and Soi Fon wondered if he was on his list of victims. He'd been pretty young when Aoi was banished from the Soul Society. If Aoi was mixed up in this uprising, Izuru would need to be warned.

"Silver, you've been very helpful," Yoruichi said. "I'm going to take you to get some food. I know a place where you can stay until we figure out what to do about your situation. Soi Fon, have your most trusted members of Squad Two help you clean up this mess, and don't let anyone else know what happened here. We still don't know who we can trust."

"What about Aoi? If he's part of this..." Soi Fon began.

"Alert Jushiro, and if he deems it necessary, let him tell Izuru."

"Izuru needs to know."

"Yes, but you're not the best with delivering news gently, Soi Fon. Jushiro is more empathic than you are."

She couldn't argue that point. "Very well. I'll be in touch later."

Yoruichi took Silver and left. Soi Fon looked at the corpses of their fallen enemies and sighed. It was going to be a long day.

STEVIE
Her concussion symptoms were finally starting to go away. She could hardly believe what had happened, but Ichigo had explained it to her. The good news was that Yuzu and Karin were both okay.

She made it home and into her bedroom before a vision hit.

A girl was standing with a man. She looked like an ordinary human, but he was wearing the kimono Stevie had come to recognize as the mark of a Soul Reaper. Somehow, the girl could see him.

The Soul Reaper began to strangle her. She struggled against him, desperately trying to get air into her lungs, but he tightened his grip. She clutched his hands and tried to force him to release her, but it didn't work.

"You've been a naughty pet," he hissed.

Tears formed in the girl's eyes. She started to black out, so he released her. "Not yet," he said. He allowed her to catch her breath before he began strangling her again.

The scene shifted. The girl was a spirit. She refused to move on, and before Stevie's eyes, she became a hollow. She no longer looked like the girl, but instead appeared to be a monster looking to consume anyone she could.

The man in the scarf appeared. His name is Byakuya, Stevie remembered. He battled against the hollow, but instead of purifying her, he captured her and brought her to a strange laboratory.

"Excellent," a woman said with a sadistic smile. "She is the perfect specimen."

"You're welcome, Chiyoko," Byakuya replied dryly, sounding annoyed. Stevie had a feeling he didn't like this woman very much.

Stevie snapped out of the vision with a start. She began to draw what she'd seen, determined to preserve every detail. She didn't understand it yet, but it felt too important to ignore.

ORIHIME
It was nice to be able to sit with Tatsuki and just share a meal. They were at their favorite local restaurant. Orihime had offered to cook, but Tatsuki had insisted on eating out.

"It's been a while since just the two of us went out," Orihime said pleasantly. "Have I missed any fascinating moments?"

"I don't know if I'd call them fascinating," Tatsuki replied with a laugh. "Things have been great, though. I'm sorry I haven't been around much. I'm really busy teaching karate classes, and I've also been getting to know Stevie a little better."

Orihime nodded thoughtfully. She was a little bit sad that Tatsuki was spending so much time with Stevie. What if Stevie was replacing her as Tatsuki's best friend? She wouldn't know what to do with herself without Tatsuki! She couldn't let their friendship fade away just because some new girl showed up and-

"Earth to Orihime! Are you okay?" Tatsuki asked.

"Oh... Um... I'm fine!" Orihime replied.

"Liar. I can practically see the gears spinning wildly in your brain. What's wrong?"

"Is Stevie your new best friend?" Orihime blurted out in a single frenzied breath.

Tatsuki's eyes widened in surprise before she rolled them. "Don't be ridiculous, Orihime," she said firmly. "You know you'll always be my best friend."

"But you're spending so much time with her..." Orihime tried to keep the hurt out of her voice, but she knew Tatsuki saw through her facade.

"Orihime, listen to me... No one will ever take your place in my life," Tatsuki said soothingly. "I really like Stevie, but it's different with her."

"What do you mean?" Orihime asked in confusion.

"I like her the same way you like Ichigo," Tatsuki explained patiently.

Orihime felt herself turning pink as she quickly started rambling, "I don't... We're just... Ichigo's my friend."

"Yeah, who you've had a huge crush on for ages," Tatsuki replied with a laugh.

"Well, maybe a little bit," she admitted. "But what does that have to do with Stevie?" Suddenly, Orihime's eyes widened a bit. "Tatsuki! I didn't know you liked girls!" She exclaimed.

"Why don't you say it a little louder, Orihime? I'm not sure everyone in Karakura Town heard you," Tatsuki joked.

"Sorry... I'm just surprised I never realized it before."

"Think about it... Have you ever seen me date a guy?"

"Well, no, but I just figured it was because you think boys are stupid."

Tatsuki laughed. "You're not wrong, but that's not the only reason. So, you see, Stevie's not taking your place. I just have a pretty big crush on her."

"That's great! Have you told her yet?"

"No... I think she might be into me, but it's hard to tell with girls sometimes. She might just be really friendly and full of compliments."

"You'll never know until you ask."

"I'm scared I'll ruin our friendship if I do that."

"Tatsuki Arisawa!" Orihime snapped. "You are not afraid of anything! Go be my fearless best friend and ask that girl on a date!" She said this very firmly so Tatsuki would understand how serious she was.

"Alright, Orihime," Tatsuki replied with another laugh. "I'll ask her out."

"Good girl!" Orihime nodded in approval, pleased the matter was settled.

They finished their meal and Tatsuki walked Orihime home. As soon as she entered her apartment, something felt off. She debated running back outside to Tatsuki, but she refused to risk endangering her best friend.

"Is someone there?" She called nervously.

She could feel eyes watching her, but no one replied. Maybe I should call Ichigo and Chad, she thought. She was just about to do that when a hand came over her mouth. She struggled to free herself from the person holding her, but he didn't release her.

"Be calm, Orihime Inoue," he said soothingly. "I am not here to harm you."

"Then why are you here?" She asked nervously.  It came out muffled against his hand.

"The Shihoin and Fon women have captured our best healer. We need a replacement."

"I won't help you," she said firmly as he moved his hand so she could speak easier. "Not if you're going to keep harming innocents."

"Innocents? No, my child... You are an innocent. Your friends, however, have much blood on their hands."

"Who are you?"

"You will find out soon enough."

Suddenly, Orihime was in severe pain as he pressed something burning hot against her arm. She cried out and tried to struggle, but he wouldn't release her until it left its mark on her flesh. When he finally let her go, she felt dizzy. The energy moving through her was overwhelming, and she was certain she was going to pass out.

Just before everything turned black, she heard him say, "Orihime Inoue... Welcome to the New Power!"