In the darkness, there was a spark that grew into a burst of lightning. I focused on it, reached for it with leaden limbs. I wasn't sure my fingers had touched it; it split in two and shot left and right. Colours came into focus. The one on my left was black and red, demonic in form. On the right, yellow and black in a laughing skull.

I shouldn't have known who they were but the words were already on my lips, falling out as whispers.

"Kurosaki. Zaraki."

The two forms hovered, growing in strength in power. As a bystander, I could do nothing as the power washed over me. Invigorating me. A thrill ran through me. The two entities collided in a headlong rush-

I jolted upright, gasping. The spiritual pressures of my captain and Ichigo was nowhere to be sensed even though they'd been so close to touch. A dream then. But it felt too real.

"Oh hey, she's awake."

I turned towards the voices. Uryu and Orihime were adjusting soul reaper uniforms. Why? I put a hand to my head. "How long was I out for?"

"Quite some time," Orihime came to my side and knelt down beside me. "Your wounds weren't severe but you must have used up a lot of energy."

I was naked from the waist up beside a thick bandage that had been wound around my chest to preserve my modesty. Hollow bone filled in the slices Jirobi had given me, albeit smaller now.

"I was going to heal you but then that started filling up the wounds," Orihime explained, eyes drawn inexplicably to the Hollow bone.

"It looks like Hollow bone." Uryu's voice was short, blunt. To the point. "And so did the one on your arm."

No more hiding this secret. I craned my head back to look at him. "That's because it is Hollow bone." Orihime gasped. "And you guys deserve an explanation. Take a seat or you might faint."

They crowded around me as I redressed, leaving the bandage as it was. There was bound to be a number of injuries to come now we were delving deeper into the Seireitei which meant a lot more being stripped down for my wounds. I was being pragmatic here.

'Chiya, are you there?' Having her close by could show the others what I look and sound like when she takes over. Plus she could explain more if needed. 'Chiya?'

No answer. I pursed my lips and sought her out but there was nothing there. Worry gnawed at me. Perhaps I had over done it.

"Kera? Are you in pain?"

I blinked back to reality to see the others staring at me worriedly. "Sorry. I'm fine, really." I gave a small smile to reassure them. "I guess I better start explaining."

"No secrets," Uryu said quickly. Orihime threw him a look but his eyes were on mine.

"I'm entitled to my secrets but I'll tell you everything that you need to know," I retorted. I didn't wait for his agreement. He had to take it or leave it. "I was a member of Squad Eleven before I maimed my lieutenant."

I explained it all: my downfall from grace after being accused of a sin I never committed and one I did; being found by Urahara and letting the old fool help me out; meeting all them, knowing from the first contact just who Ichigo and Rukia were; why I wore a collar to suppress my spiritual pressure; how I could heal with Hollow bone.

Of discovering that I housed a Hollow within my body and that I was never a soul reaper to begin with. When I got to that part, my voice cracked and I had to bite my knuckle and advert my gaze from them. Their pity was strong and I didn't need pity at the moment.

"So all your powers are coming from the Hollow?" Orihime questioned. She looked at me like I'd been transformed. Uryu looked at me like I had two heads.

"Not all of them. I have some... let's call it phantom spiritual pressure and powers from my time as a 'soul reaper' but all my abilities are her's. That sword I was swinging around came from her."

"Can she take over?" he asked but you didn't need a lot of brain power to understand what was written between the lines. 'If you lose control, what will she do?'

"How else do you think I got into the Soul Society? Chiya seems to have a grudge against Gin. I'm not sure why since I never really mingled with him or his squad. And don't worry, Chiya and I have a pact going on at the moment. She'll help me any way she can while we're saving Rukia."

"Is she listening right now?"

"No. Truthfully, I had no idea where she went. She's still in me but I think I've been pushing our limits in the battles. I'm nowhere near as powerful as I was before and she isn't as strong as she makes herself out to be." Now that I pondered it, bravado, arrogance and cockiness seemed to be Chiya's greatest strengths as opposed to power. "As long as I don't engage in any fighting for a while, I should reach full strength. Once the sword returns, then I'll rain down hell."

"Well that's good then!" Orihime sang. She was up on her feet. "After we made sure you were safe, we decided we needed uniforms to better blend in. Now we can walk through the soul society without any worries."

"Ah. I was going to ask about that." I didn't want to know who they got them from. I knew they wouldn't murder anyone but my guess was some soul reapers were going to have sore heads in the morning.

"At least now we can avoid any unnecessary fighting," Uryu said, climbing to his feet.

Orihime nodded her head in agreement as she tied up her hair, changing her appearance from her ryoka description just slightly. I ran my hand through my own hair. My hands came out streaked with blue and red. Sweat and blood.

"Anyone know where I can wash my hair? Might as well go blonde again."

Orihime directed me to a basin at the back of the warehouse. I washed out the blue dye and blood and scrubbed my face clear of dirt too. Limp, blonde hair stuck to my neck and I blew a frustrated sigh. Back to square one with appearances. Nimble fingers braided my hair and then I secured it at the base of my skull. Wasn't much else to do.

I fiddled with my uniform, wishing I was still in my other gear but that would have been a dead give-away after Chiya's charge in. There really was no reason for me to think on this. Procrastinating just because I didn't want to go back outside.

"Are you ready, Kera?"

"Coming!" I answered Orihime. I joined the others. No choice now. "Before we leave," I said to them both, "just know that I'll have to hide. A lot of people know what I look like and with my appearance as it, it isn't hard to identify me."

"All good. All we're going to be doing anyway is gathering information on everyone's whereabouts." Orihime linked arms with me and we drifted towards the door. "Hopefully no more fighting for a little bit."

We exited the warehouse.

~

"Okay! We found out the location of the sanzaikyú from those people earlier. The others must be on the their way right now."

I drummed my fingers on the wall, knee jiggling. I was sitting on a set of stairs beside Uryu. Orihime had whipped out a notebook and was taking notes. She'd been doing that for most of the day.

We'd encountered quite a few patrols in this area that we diverted past but the last one had caught us before we could split. While I hid like a snake in a burrow, the others pretended to see the 'intruders' headed in 'that direction'. They successfully moved the patrol on and now we sat for a breather.

"Ichigo is probably there already," mused Orihime.

"We'd better hurry then before Ichigo has time to screw everything up," Uryu said as he stood. "We have to get there and prevent that."

I snorted. After the strange dream I had before, I had the feeling Ichigo had met trouble in the form of my captain. I worked the kinks out of the back of my neck with a free hand while my other wiped sweat the sweat from my palm.

My skin kept prickling as if eyes constantly wandered onto me but whenever I took a quick scan of our surroundings, there was no-one around. It was unnerving, especially since none of the others sensed any disturbances.

I'll have to be on my guard.

The gods only knew we were in no shape for trouble.

"Let's get a move on," I said, throwing one last glance over my shoulder and up the stairs. Before my eyes could conjure hallucinations, I directed the others ahead of me.

"Right!" Orihime led the way. After about a hundred metres, she turned to me and asked, "What company should we belong to? We have to be ready to answer right away if anyone asks."

"As long as you try not to let the tongue slip that I'm Squad Eleven, we should be fine. No offense to you two, but you'd never be made members of the Squad. Disposition and all," I added quickly.

"Uh, Kera? Why are you running?"

"Huh?" I looked back at the others, who were jogging beside me. "Oh, I don't know." But I did. That feeling of being watched was following us again. As did a sudden coldness that I was beginning to associate with high ranked soul reapers. Captains to be specific.

There was one close by but where? I didn't want to find out. Dorangohato hadn't returned yet and Orihime's little flower petal wasn't prepared anytime soon to do battle. Uryu could handle it but at close ranges, no, since all he had was a bow. Unless he could turn it into a sword which would be handy but I had a feeling a Quincy tried very hard not be anything like a soul reaper.

If there was in a fact a Captain about, we had to be ready for anything. That meant going on the defensive early. "Uryu, stay behind me and keep your bow close at hand. Orihime, I need you to bring up the rear and keep a focus on our defense and healing. Should anyone appear, be ready to throw up a shield."

"Did you sense something?" Uryu asked.

"It's more of a gut-feeling," I confessed. "One I don't want to take chances-"

"Hey, you three!" We skidded to a halt and swung round. A man with a mustache and a sake bottle hanging from hand stood at the end of an alley we'd just past.

I cursed twice. Once because I should have kept an eye out. Second because I knew this man. He'd been in the bar when Ikkaku had introduced me to the others. It felt like centuries ago and even though I forgot names, I never forgot faces.

"What company are you with?!" he boomed, stalking towards us. "And what are you doing here?!"

The other two were scared and I tried to stay hidden by Uryu. If I could catch this guy off guard-

"We're from squad eleven."

I nudged Uryu harshly with a toe to the back of his calf and he swung round to face me.

"He's with Squad eleven, you dolt!" I whispered harshly. Orihime paled and Uryu faced the man with new apprehension.

I told them NOT to say Squad Eleven, did I not? I said NOT to. Yet of course the first thing that came out of his mouth was Squad eleven. I curled my hands into fists but stayed hidden. Now I had to wait until he came closer to sock him good.

"We're a combat unit. Who in 11th company would be stupid enough to walk around without a zanpakuto?" Quick like a viper, the man grabbed Orihime shirt, pulling her close. It was then I noticed the emblem stitched on the front. "This is 12th company's insignia not 11th but then you wouldn't know that. Who are you really?"

I stepped out of Uryu's shadow and glared at him. He jumped so violently he released Orihime. His eyes only took a few seconds to light with recognition.

"Aren't you – URK!"

He collapsed to the ground. Behind him stood a blonde man with a stick.

When had he gotten there? I must have been too focused on the old comrade to notice his arrival. No, not just his. A group of them surrounded us. My skin prickled again, those eyes waiting, watching.

We might have escaped the tiger but I felt we were being circled by sharks now.

I glared at a few as Orihime thanked them, silent and tense.

"It's the least we could do. 12th company looks out for its own, right?" said the guy who'd done the clobbering.

"These 11th company guys are always trying to start trouble with us. The clods," said another with black hair. "Anyone could forget his sword."

A tiny, nagging thought popped to the forefront of my mind. Who was captain of Squad 12 again?

"Orihime!" Uryu's cry caught my attention. The blonde man was leading Orihime away. Away from us.

Splitting us up.

I shoved away the one who'd circled up to my side, a man with spiky grey hair and snagged Uryu's arm. Then I threw myself at Orihime as Uryu shouted, "Get away from-"

Then the soul reapers exploded like uncapped grenades.