CHAPTER SIX
SHUHEI
He was not entirely sure what to expect when Sakura told him he was needed in the world of the living, but when she'd told him the reason, he'd been stunned.

Kyori was alive. It seemed impossible. He'd watched her die. He'd watched Izuru sob over what had remained of her spiritual energy, unable to fix her no matter how hard he'd tried. He'd watched Rangiku weep for the girl she considered her little sister. The three of them had gone out for drinks after it was over, desperate to forget for just a little while. It hadn't helped.

Shuhei watched her as she sat on a bench outside of the hospital. She was obviously nervous, but she looked exactly the same, and Shuhei could no longer deny she'd returned.

"Kyori..." He called softly.

She looked up and stared at him. "You're Shuhei," she said. "I recognize your tattoos."

"I heard you have amnesia," he replied. "I guess it's true."

"Shuhei, I need you to tell me something."

"Alright... What is it?"

"Why did you and Masashi get into the fight?"

He was surprised by the question. "The guy was a jerk," he replied with a shrug.

"What happened?"

"He heard my comment that you had awful taste in men... Probably because he was stalking you. He found me when I was alone and jumped me. Trust me, he regretted it."

"Tell me about how we knew each other."

Shuhei hesitated. "This is a weird conversation to be having. Why don't you tell me where you've been for the last seven years?"

"I honestly don't know."

He studied her, searching for something, anything that might tell him what had happened to Kyori or how his very dead friend could be there with him now, but no answers came.

"Shuhei... Please tell me the truth. All of it. Anything you can remember," Kyori asked.

He remembered all too well.

They'd both responded to an emergency in the world of the living. They defeated the hollows, but stuck around in case any more showed up. Shuhei sat beside Kyori in a park. They were talking and laughing when he leaned over and kissed her. He hadn't planned on it, and he certainly hadn't expected her to kiss him back, but she had.

It was probably inappropriate, but he couldn't resist her lips that night. Shuhei had no time for romance, but that didn't mean he didn't occasionally mess around with his friends. Usually, copious amounts of alcohol were involved, but that night, he was completely sober. It must have been the adrenaline of battle that made him act so reckless.

He finally broke the kiss and looked into her eyes, trying to figure out how she was reacting.

"That was a heck of a kiss," she said softly.

He smirked. "It sure was," he agreed.

"I'm not really looking for a relationship, Shuhei... I've only been out of the Academy for six months..."

"I don't really have time for relationships, so don't worry about that. How do you feel about just tonight, unless another hollow shows up?"

"Tonight..." She considered his words carefully before smiling. "I think that would be okay." She paused. "Promise this won't make our friendship complicated and messy?"

"I promise." He pulled her closer and kissed her again, savoring whatever time they had together.

He'd kept his word. If anything, their friendship grew stronger after that night. They messed around a couple of times after, but when Kyori started dating Masashi, Shuhei respectfully backed off and strictly acted as her friend. He was happy she'd found love, at least until he noticed the way Masashi acted around her.

"We were friends, Kyori... Good friends," he finally said aloud.

"What aren't you telling me?" She asked.

"We sort of had a non-thing... We were friends, but sometimes..."

"We were lovers?" She asked in surprise.

"For a while. We stopped hooking up after you fell for Masashi. I was more than happy to just be your friend."

"I can't believe I didn't know this about myself..."

"According to Captain Ishida, you don't know much of anything about yourself." It had taken Sakura a lot of time to get Shuhei to stop calling her Captain unless speaking in an official capacity, but he felt this qualified. Sakura had died at seventeen years old and really didn't feel comfortable with someone she considered a friend being so formal with her, especially since he was older than she was. Shuhei was a loyal Lieutenant and he felt extremely odd not calling her Captain Ishida, but he forced himself to respect her wishes. After all, that was his duty.

"She's right about that... I'm starting to get flashes, though... I was hoping you could help me remember more."

"Alright... What do you want to know?"

"What do you know about Masashi?"

"Like I said, he was a jerk. I didn't like the guy. You were really independent and strong, but he treated you like you were his possession and if anyone got too close to you, he'd lash out. He really only tolerated your friendships with Rangiku and Momo."

"Momo?" She paused as if the name meant something to her.

"She's the Lieutenant of Squad Five."

"Captain Aizen's Squad..." She paused.

"It used to be. Shinji Hirako is in charge now. Aizen was a traitor." He struggled not to think about Captain Tosen. It still hurt too much. He adored Sakura, but he'd been very close to his former Captain and it was still very hard for Shuhei to deal with the way things had ended.

Kyori automatically reached out and gently touched his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. The sudden sensation of her touch shocked him, and he pulled his hand away sharply.

"I-I'm sorry," she said quickly.

"Don't be," Shuhei replied. "It's just been seven years since I felt your touch... It was a shock to my system." He tentatively allowed her to take his hand again.

Kyori gasped. She squeezed his hand so hard it nearly broke, but Shuhei endured the pain as he asked, "What's wrong, Kyori? What happened?"

Suddenly, Kyori's eyes turned blank. She wrapped her hands around his throat without warning and began to squeeze as hard as she could.

"Kyori..." Shuhei choked out. He tried to loosen her grasp, but it didn't work. "Kiki!" He tried again. She simply tightened her hands even more.

Shuhei was stunned. He didn't want to hurt her... He couldn't hurt her... But he knew he had no choice. He struggled to find a way to gain the upper hand, but it was hard to think as she choked him.

"Kyori, stop!" A voice said in shock. "Soten Kisshun, I reject!"

A shield formed between Shuhei and Kyori, pushing Kyori away from him and wrapping around him protectively. It quickly healed the minor injuries to his throat.

Kyori looked confused as she focused on Orihime. "What just happened?" She asked.

"I was going to ask you that," Orihime replied. "You just tried to strangle Shuhei!"

"I... I did what?" Kyori asked in horror. "Shuhei, are you alright? I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened."

He took a couple of deep breaths. "You can let the shield go, Orihime. I'm fine," Shuhei said.

"But what if she attacks you again?" Orihime asked nervously.

"I'll use my Shikai." He was bluffing, but neither girl needed to know that. Shuhei couldn't bring himself to hurt someone he'd grieved for the last seven years.

Orihime reluctantly released him from her shield. "Now play nice, Kyori," she said firmly as if she was scolding a naughty child.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Shuhei asked Kyori.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"Maybe I can help," someone said. "That's not why I'm here, but I can try while I wait for my ride."

Shuhei turned around to look at the man who'd spoken. "Trerry," he said. "Sakura mentioned you'd be coming to help with the Byakuya situation. Who's supposed to bring you into the Soul Society?"

"She said she'd send Rukia. The poor girl needs to feel useful with her big brother in jail. Until she gets here, why don't I see if I can figure out why your friend over there attacked you?"

"Go for it."

"What's going on? Who is this guy?" Kyori asked nervously.

"I'm Trerry. I'm a friend of Sakura's who isn't from this realm, but sometimes I help the Soul Reapers out," Trerry replied. "I won't hurt you, Kyori."

"You know my name?"

"Did I forget to mention I'm an extremely powerful telepath? I sort of can't turn it off. Sorry about that." He paused. "May I?"

Kyori hesitated before nodding. "I hurt Shuhei. I'm not okay with that. Go ahead and figure out why."

Trerry grinned. "Here goes," he said. He did not appear to be doing anything. In fact, he carried on a friendly conversation instead of focusing on Kyori.

"So, Orihime, what's new?" Trerry asked casually. "Did you do anything interesting this week?"

"Well, I made a new recipe... It's onions with ketchup, bacon, bananas, fish heads, and pistachio ice cream!" Orihime replied enthusiastically.

"Sounds delicious. What else is going on?"

Delicious? It sounds toxic, Shuhei thought.

Be nice. Cooking makes the girl happy, Trerry scolded him telepathically. An unhappy Orihime makes the world feel wrong.

"I met two new girls," Orihime continued. "One's Kyori, and the other one is Stevie, and Stevie has visions and keeps drawing Soul Reapers, and it's all very mysterious and intriguing!"

"Well, that does sound interesting," Trerry replied with a smile. "As does this... Kyori, you have programming in your mind. It's buried deep, but I can probably break it."

"What do you mean?" Kyori asked nervously.

"The people who had you implanted instructions in your mind to harm certain people. The Nobles are higher up, but anyone with the rank of Lieutenant or Captain is also on the list. Shuhei here is a Lieutenant."

"Renji's a Captain but she didn't attack him," Shuhei protested. "She didn't attack Toshiro, either."

"That's correct. Something triggered the programming," Trerry explained.

"What was it?" Orihime asked.

"I'll have to look deeper to figure that out."

"Just break the programming. I don't want to hurt anyone," Kyori said.

"Kyori... It's going to hurt. Possibly a lot," Trerry replied. "If I break it slowly, I can be gentle, but you're asking me to break it all at once."

"Is it dangerous?" Shuhei asked.

"Potentially. If I'm not careful, I might fry her mind. She could end up like Aizen, catatonic and drooling for eternity. Of course, I did that on purpose." He smirked. "The bastard had it coming."

"Would you be able to reverse the damage if you slip up?"

"I can't promise that. I could probably fix Aizen if necessary, because I know what I did to him, but if I just mess up and fry someone by accident, it's much harder to fix."

"I don't care about the risk, Trerry," Kyori said firmly. "I'd rather be catatonic than a threat to my friends."

"If it makes you feel better, I'm very good at what I do. I should be able to help you without destroying your mind, but I can't prevent the pain."

"I can handle pain."

"I know. I saw that much."

"What do you mean?" Shuhei asked.

"In her memories..." He paused. The people that have had her tortured her, Shuhei, he said telepathically. Remembering it may traumatize her beyond repair, but she's tough. She might be able to handle it.

"Kyori, you don't have to do this," Shuhei said.

"Yes I do," she replied. "Go ahead, Trerry. I'm ready."

"Shuhei... Hold her," Trerry said.

"Why?" Shuhei asked in confusion.

"In case she collapses." Trerry took a deep breath as Shuhei wrapped his arms protectively around Kyori. "Alright, let's do this."

SEINA
She arrived home in the cab and quickly thanked the driver before going inside. Ichigo had insisted on paying for the cab himself, so she didn't have to bother with that.

She was surprised to hear voices coming from the Stranger's office. Seina wasn't allowed in there, but she often shapeshifted and snuck in anyway. She assumed the form of a mouse and slipped under the door, sensing something important was going on. Normally, she wouldn't be so reckless and sneak in while he was home, but she wanted to hear what was being said.

"What was he thinking walking around the world of the living without cloaking himself?" The Stranger demanded. "He is becoming too arrogant for his own good!"

"Calm yourself," Arato replied. "I handled the situation which followed."

"Was Seina injured?"

"I made sure she fled before I used my Bankai. I would never risk harming that child."

"Did he sense her?"

"No. She was hidden well."

"Then why hasn't she come home yet, Arato?" The Stranger began to pace.

"I'm sure she's fine, my friend. She probably just got distracted or ran off to buy more candy."

"I should lock the kid up so I stop losing track of her, but she's a good spy and a skilled thief, and I need her working for us."

"If you try to do that, she will flee. We don't want to risk losing her."

"She's more trouble than she's worth."

Hurtful! Seina thought sarcastically.

"You simply aren't used to dealing with children," Arato replied.

"And you are?" The Stranger snapped.

"I was, once." Arato inhaled deeply, like he was trying to keep his composure, before saying, "I must return to my post. Contact me tonight if Seina has still not returned."

"Goodbye, Arato. Hail the New Power," the Stranger said, bowing his head. As the man in charge of nearly everything, he wasn't typically submissive to anyone, but Arato was several centuries older than him, so he showed him respect.

"Hail the New Power, my friend," Arato replied just as respectfully.

As Arato left, Seina remained hidden. The Stranger began mumbling to himself. "It was a foolish risk... If anyone figures out who he truly is, everything we have worked for will be destroyed... He must remain simply The Nameless One. And we can't allow him to get his hands on Seina before she is ready, or everything will fall apart. Everything."

Jeez, am I that important? Seina wondered. She'd be touched if she thought the Stranger cared about her as more than a pawn in his chess game.

The Stranger threw a glass across the room. It shattered, and he knelt down to pick up the pieces after a minute. One of the shards cut his hand, and he stared at the blood for a moment before he began to laugh like a mad man. Seina had never seen him so unhinged before.

He continued to watch the blood as if it fascinated him. "The spilling of Noble blood is intoxicating," he said as he continued to laugh. "Even my own!"

He's a Noble? Seina thought in shock. It had never occurred to her that a man who hated Noble Soul Reapers so much might actually be one himself.

"They can erase my name, my reputation, and my memory, but they cannot change my blood!" He declared.

"Sir? Sir, calm down!" Yukina cried in alarm. She was one of the lowest people in the organization. She tended to be tasked with taking care of the more important members, like the Stranger. "You're hurt! Let me take care of that." She frantically began cleaning him up.

The Stranger allowed it, but was still ranting under his breath. Finally, Yukina brought him a pill and a glass of water. "Take this, Sir," she said gently. "You'll feel better once you do."

He took the pill. After a couple of minutes, it seemed to calm him. "Thank you, Yukina," he said. "That will be all."

Yukina nodded and left him alone. He cleaned up the rest of the mess, sweeping it up with a broom instead of risking cutting himself again.

Seina finally snuck out of the room before slipping out of the house. She shifted into her true form and let herself inside. "Oh Daddy, I'm home!" She called. He came into the living room looking annoyed.

"You're hurt," the Stranger said with a frown as he noticed the boot on her foot. "Who put that boot on you?"

"Someone saw me fall and rescued me. He insisted on taking me to a clinic," Seina replied.

"What clinic?" He asked sharply.

Crap, she thought. "I didn't catch the name of the place. I gave the doctor a fake name, so don't worry. My identity is still a secret."

"He treated you with no documentation of your identity?"

"He saw a damsel in distress and helped me out. It's no big deal."

"The next time you get hurt, come home immediately, Seina."

"Sure thing."

"Who helped you?"

"Just a random good Samaritan. I didn't ask his name."

"Seina, stop lying to me. You know how I feel about that. Tell me what happened."

She wanted to keep lying, but she knew he'd be furious, and considering she'd just watched him lose his mind for a bit, she decided that was a bad idea. "Arato's spiritual pressure was too much for me. I collapsed, and I nearly fell off a cliff, but Chad was there and he saved me."

"Chad? As in our enemy Chad?" The Stranger demanded.

"He doesn't know who I really am, I swear. He just thinks I'm a random girl who gets homeschooled and really likes candy. He calls me Rainbow Head." She didn't want the Stranger to know Chad knew her real name. There was no telling how angry he'd be or what he might do.

"Why did he help you?"

"He's not the kind of guy who lets a girl fall off a cliff. He played the hero."

"Hmmm... So Chad rescued you. Perhaps we can use this to our advantage. Befriend him, Seina. Get involved with his friends, but not too involved. You can give us eyes on the inside. Just don't let them know you have powers of your own."

Seina was both excited and horrified. Finally, she had permission to hang out with other teenagers and act like a normal girl, but she also had to spy on them. She had to betray them, and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to do that. Still, what choice did she have?

"Sure," Seina said as casually as she could. "I can make some friends."

"Good. Do not disappoint me, Seina. Find out everything you possibly can about our enemies and report back to me nightly."

"Alright, Daddy. I'll start on that mission first thing tomorrow."

He ignored her attempt to annoy him. "Go rest your foot. Keep it elevated. I'll bring you some ice."

"Thanks." She headed to her room and closed the door. She took several deep breaths to calm her nerves before deciding this could be a good thing. She really liked Chad, and his friends seemed interesting enough. Being assigned to infiltrate their circle might not be such a bad thing.

KARIN
She couldn't keep sitting around the house. Her father was driving her even crazier than usual because she'd gotten hurt. Yuzu was happy to let him coddle her, but Karin could only tolerate him for so long before she kicked him in the head.

Stevie had woken up but was obviously concussed. Her father had insisted she stay in the house for observation. Ichigo was staying close to her and Yuzu. Chad had left to go home.

She headed to the front door. "Not so fast, Karin," Ichigo said. "Where are you going?"

"Soccer practice," she replied.

"You're injured."

"I'm fine, Ichigo. I'm not even concussed. It's just a bad cut, and Dad stitched me up."

"Karin, there's no way I'm letting you go out alone right now. It's too dangerous."

"That thing is gone. The only lurking issues are a couple of ghosts who seem harmless enough. It's nothing I can't handle, but if I'm stuck with Dad for another second, I'm gonna snap."

Ichigo sighed. "Fair enough," he replied. "Be careful, Karin. And call me the second anything feels off."

"I will."

"Go on." He motioned toward the door.

Karin happily headed out. She was halfway to the soccer field when she sensed something. She turned toward the energy and saw a man she didn't know coming toward her. He was dressed in the kimono of a Soul Reaper, and he wore a strange mask.

"Karin Shiba," he said pleasantly.

"That's not my name," she replied in confusion. "At least not the Shiba part."

"But it is rightfully your name to claim, Child."

"Don't call me Child. It's rude, especially since you know my first name." She paused. "How do you know me?"

"I make it a habit to know of every Noble Soul Reaper who walks this world."

"Okay, first of all, I'm not a Soul Reaper. Second, I'm definitely not part of some Noble family. You've got the wrong girl."

"Your father has kept many secrets from you and your siblings, Karin. That includes your true heritage. Why do you think you and your brother can see spirits?"

"Look, Buddy, I don't know who you are, but get lost or you'll regret it."

"You are high-spirited. You'll serve us well."

"I don't serve anyone, Loser." She started to walk away, but she bumped right into another man in a kimono and a mask. A woman dressed the same way soon popped up on her left side.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be, Karin Shiba," the woman said as she drew her sword.

"My name is Karin Kurosaki," Karin corrected her firmly. "You should know that, since I'm about to kick the crap out of you."

"This little firecracker will make a nice addition to our collection," the second man said, laughing as though this were the funniest thing on the planet.

As the woman moved to attack her, Karin kicked her in the knee and took her down instantly. The second man seemed mildly concerned by this as he made a move to grab Karin. She let him grab her arm and pull her close just so she could stomp on his foot with incredible force. He released her.

She tried to run, but the first man moved impossibly fast. He's using Soul Reaper tricks, Karin realized. What did Ichigo call it? Right... Flash Step.

He grabbed her and put her into a chokehold. Karin did everything she could think of to try to counter it and escape, but his grip was incredibly strong. That didn't stop her from continuing to fight. There was no way she was going to let these creeps hurt her.

She finally resorted to raising her knee up into his groin as hard as she could. This made him release her. She started to run as she pulled out her phone. She was about to call her brother when a fourth man appeared in front of her out of nowhere.

He was much older than the others, and his power radiated from him in waves that nearly overwhelmed her. Karin was speechless as she stared at him, and no matter how much she tried to make herself move, her body wouldn't listen to her.

"It will be easier for you if you do not fight us, Karin," he said in a gentle, patient tone.

She had a few choice words she'd like to say to him, none of them especially polite, but she still couldn't remember how to speak. She had never felt anything like his power before.

"Yamamoto-san," the woman said nervously. "Shouldn't we hurry up and grab the brat?"

"She is no brat, Haru," he replied harshly. "She is a fighter. This world needs more strong young women in it. Show her some respect."

"She's a child, Arato," the first man protested.

"She is a warrior, Aoi," he replied. "My apologies, Karin. I know my spiritual pressure can be overwhelming. Breathe, young one... Steady now... In and out." Arato demonstrated the act for Karin and she could feel herself beginning to inhale and exhale slowly.

"Who are you?" She finally managed to ask. Her voice was trembling and she couldn't make it stop.

"I am Arato Yamamoto, former Captain of Squad Five of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and current Kido Master of the New Power."

"What do you want with me?"

"I will not harm you, Karin. If you come with us, I will keep you safe. You are not our target. You are simply a means to lure him out of hiding."

"You're after Ichigo, aren't you? Forget it! I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"No, Karin. Your rather impressive brother Ichigo is not our target today. Isshin is."

She hesitated. "Why are you after my father?" She asked.

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you that."

He tried to grab her. Karin dove out of the way and tried to run, but he simply reappeared in front of her. She knew she was screwed but was determined to fight her way through this no matter what.

Aoi grabbed her from behind as she was distracted by Arato. He started to drag her away when a voice suddenly snapped, "Get. Your hands. Off of her!"

"Toshiro!" Karin cried as she recognized his voice.

"It's alright, Karin," he reassured her. "I'll handle this."

"Oh look, they sent the short one to stop us!" Haru said with a laugh.

A blast of ice hit her and slammed her against the nearest wall, pinning her in place. "Would anyone else care to crack a joke about my height?" Toshiro asked dryly. He proceeded to knock Aoi away from Karin with a wave of water that froze immediately. It pierced his chest, although it missed his heart. Apparently, Toshiro wasn't aiming to kill.

The one man who was still unidentified fled the scene, which probably made him the smartest of the three who were obviously lackeys. Arato smirked slightly at Toshiro before saying, "You must be Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"That's Captain Hitsugaya," Toshiro snapped.

"Indeed, and you have certainly earned that rank. I respect you, Captain Hitsugaya. If you would choose to join our side, you would be most welcome."

"Why would you think I would even consider such a thing?"

"Because, my friend... I know what Central Forty-Six put you through as a boy. I know they slaughtered your friend, and I know you despise corruption. You would make an excellent ally."

"I do not work with traitors to the Soul Society."

"Traitors? Why don't you ask Genryusai about betrayal sometime?"

"The former Head Captain was removed from power and sits in a prison cell. Why do you bring him up?"

"Talk to him, my young Captain. And do tell him that Arato says hello." Arato smiled at Karin. "You are free to go for now, Karin. I do not wish to challenge your friend today. After all, my powers are based in water. Let us not test whether Toshiro Hitsugaya is strong enough to freeze my Bankai."

He clapped his hands and mumbled something. In a flash, he vanished.

"Karin, are you alright?" Toshiro asked.

"I... I think so," she replied. "Are you?"

"I'm fine. Let me bring you home."

"What about Aoi and Haru?"

Toshiro looked at the frozen Soul Reapers. "They aren't going anywhere for a while. I'll come collect them after you're safe."

"Alright," she agreed reluctantly. They started walking back toward her house. "Toshiro, the scary guy, the one with all the power... He said he was the former Captain of Squad Five. Arato Yamamoto?"

"Yamamoto..." Toshiro repeated in disbelief. "It can't be..."

"Toshiro, what is it?" Karin asked.

"Nothing for you to worry about. Did they say why they targeted you?"

"They kept calling me Karin Shiba. They swore I'm part of some Noble family of Soul Reapers." She hesitated. "Toshiro, tell me the truth, because I know my father and Ichigo won't. Are they right?"

"Karin, it is better you stay out of all of this."

"Please, Toshiro. What if they'd grabbed Yuzu? She would have been defenseless against them. If we're in danger, I need to know so I can protect us both."

He sighed. "You're right. You have a right to know the truth. Yes, Karin. Your father is a Soul Reaper, born to the Noble Shiba Clan. He was once my Captain."

"Your Captain? And you didn't tell me?"

"When we first met, I didn't know. He gave up his powers to save your mother. They slowly came back over time, but he isn't part of the Soul Society's affairs anymore. Before you and your siblings were born, he took your mother's family name, Kurosaki. None of us knew what truly became of him. The truth only came out recently."

Karin fell silent for a moment as she tried to process that. "Alright," she finally said. "What do I do now?"

"Stay close to Ichigo as much as you can. He will protect you. I will try to check on you as often as possible, but I'm needed in the Soul Society."

"Toshiro, I can't just hide. Teach me how to be a Soul Reaper, like you and Ichigo."

"You're too young, Karin."

"You're a Soul Reaper."

"We've been over this. I am not a little kid."

"At least teach me something. In an emergency, I need to know how to protect my sister."

"Aside from seeing our world, your powers are dormant. Until they awaken, there is nothing I can teach you." He paused. "If you are in danger and Ichigo is not there, call out for me. I will protect you."

"How will you hear me if you're in the Soul Society?"

"I don't understand it, Karin, but there is a bit of a connection between us. I sense when you need my assistance."

"Is that how you ended up here today?"

"Yes. I suddenly felt a threat surrounding you, so I came to help."

"You care about me." She smirked.

"I don't like it when people harm you," he clarified.

"I care about you, too, for the record."

"Noted."

"I know you could have killed them. Why didn't you?"

"They're part of an uprising and we need answers. I am hoping they will give us some information we can use." He motioned toward her front door. "Come on. Let's go tell your brother what happened."

URYU
He was feeling much better. His doctors had agreed he could be released the next morning, so he only had to get through one more night in his father's hospital.

He was surprised when someone walked into his room. She sat on the edge of his bed and looked at him with lost eyes. Uryu knew a spirit when he saw one.

Maybe she died here, he thought. Hospitals were often haunted by the souls of those who hadn't made it out alive.

Her pain was obvious. Uryu felt sorry for her. "What happened to you?" He asked gently.

She turned toward him and opened her mouth, but no words came out. She began to sob, making small choking sounds as she did. She reached toward Uryu, and he was about to take her hand when Ryuken burst into the room.

"She's a hollow, you fool!" Ryuken shouted.

"She doesn't have a hole where her soul chain should be," Uryu protested.

She looked terrified as Ryuken prepared to attack her. Uryu could feel that something was off in her spiritual energy, but she didn't feel like a threat. She did, however, radiate with the energy of a hollow.

Help her, he thought.

You can't, he reminded himself. She's a hollow. You're a Quincy. You don't help hollows, you destroy them.

Despite this, everything in Uryu was screaming at him to protect the girl. He was about to do something when someone else did instead.

"Hey, Ryuken! Long time no see!" Kisuke said as he entered the room and moved between Ryuken and the hollow. "How's it hanging?"

"Did you create this abomination, Kisuke Urahara?" Ryuken demanded.

"No, she's not one of mine," Kisuke replied cheerfully. "I'd love to examine her, though, just to figure out what's going on with her."

"Do what you want. Just get that thing out of my son's room."

"In a minute. How are you feeling, Uryu?"

"Like I'm ready to go home," Uryu replied.

"Excellent news! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to bring this lovely hollow somewhere else. Come on, sweetheart. Let's go for a walk." He motioned for the hollow to follow him. She hesitated.

Uryu nodded at her subtly. This seemed to convince her it was okay to go with Kisuke, and she followed him out of the room. Uryu decided he'd ask Kisuke about her as soon as he got out of the hospital.

"Your skills are slipping," Ryuken said harshly. "Did you not detect what she was?"

"I'm medicated and recovering. My instincts may be a bit off," Uryu admitted. "Get out of my room, Ryuken. I don't want you here."

Now that he was thinking more clearly, he saw no point in calling Ryuken Father. After all, he certainly didn't act like one.

"I own this hospital. I can go wherever I please. However, now that the hollow is gone, I have no reason to remain. I look forward to you no longer being in my hospital."

"Not as much as I do."

Ryuken left the room. Uryu forced himself to calm down and tried not to obsess about the strange hollow.

A little while later, Kyori cane into the room. Her eyes were bloodshot. "Kyori... Have you been crying?" Uryu asked in concern.

She didn't reply. Instead, she crawled into the bed beside him and wrapped her arms around him before she began sobbing.

Uryu held her in confusion. "What's wrong?" He asked as he tried to comfort her.

"I remember," she replied.

"Remember what?" He asked.

"Dying... And what happened to me afterward."