Summary:

To many, she was a beacon of light in a rapidly darkening world, her heart pure and her eyes clear to see the truth that lay before her. To others, she was weak, they couldn't understand the idea behind her power or how it could ever be used to bring peace.

Masami Hoshigumo was just a normal woman, her tragic death in the world of the living leading to a fateful encounter with an orange haired child would later change everything she had come to know. But as all that she loves comes under threat, what can she really do to help those that gave her once lonely existence meaning, can she escape the clutches of the man who wishes to use the power of her light for evil? Could she figure out her feelings for the two men who have plagued her heart before it was all too late?

*Flashback*

Her soul felt heavy as she wondered the streets of karakura town. How long had she drifted alone like this? How long had the chain upon her chest felt like it was consuming her very being? How long had she been dead?

She felt the wind pass through her ivory hair, her pale blue eyes shutting to the world as the breeze caressed her spirit. It was all that could touch her now, the only thing that could soften the loneliness within her still heart. If she could cry, she would have, if anyone could have heard her, she would have begged for help.

Was this all that death could be in the end? Endless loneliness and wishing for oblivion as the living passed by without ever seeing your pain?

"Are you ok lady? You look lost"

Her eyes snapped open in surprise, the strangest sensation of her dead heart jumping in shock at the sound of the young voice, turning her face slightly to the sight of unruly orange hair and innocent brown eyes.

"You can see me?"

His face scrunched up in confusion as he continued to look at her, eyes never moving until she turned to face him fully and he saw the chain upon her chest, understanding coming to his young face.

"Yeah, I see you… How long have you been here?"

"I don't know, time lost any meaning after the first three years… I died in 1978"

His young eyes widened in shock as he looked at her.

"You've been here for nearly twenty years?"

Her smile was slow as she hung her head in thought. So that was how long she had wondered for, it was nice to have some small sense of clarity at last. Looking back towards the child, she crouched to his level and met his eye with her own.

"Thank you for seeing me… My name was Masami Hoshigumo, what is yours?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki

"Hey, Masami?"

"What is it Ichigo?"

It had been a year since Ichigo had found Masami wondering alone, since he'd started to speak with the spirit. Masami doubted he would ever realise it, but he had saved her from loneliness, the little boy who would sit with her each afternoon on his way home from the park, the little boy whose eyes lit up with love when he spoke of his mother and his sisters. Masami had even seen his mother once or twice when she came to pick him up from their meeting point when they had lost track of time.

She couldn't see Masami, but it didn't matter, Masami had Ichigo to keep her company now.

"How did you die?"

She frowned slightly. Hers wasn't a tale for children's ears. Ichigo hated to see a frown upon her face, Masami was beautiful in his eyes, with her hair of perfect white and eyes of pale blue, he thought she looked just like an angel. Not that he was about to tell her that.

"Maybe when you're older, then I will tell you what happened to me"

She could see that he didn't like the answer she gave; he was certainly stubborn for a six-year-old. He reminded her of her own little brother when she had been alive. But her answer would be good enough for now it seemed as they turned to the footsteps that grew closer, both smiling in separate forms of fondness at the woman who came for Ichigo. Masami hoped that Ichigo would always wear that smile for his mother.

Where was she? Masami had never missed a meeting in the three years he'd known her. He could still feel her presence in the area but why wasn't she showing her face? She knew he hated playing hide and seek. She promised that she'd be here to wish him happy birthday.

"Are you looking for the woman with white hair?"

Ichigo turned, startled by the man who perched on the park railings. He was dressed in a black uniform looking outfit with white trimming, a sword hanging by his side as he looked down at the child.

"Don't worry kid, she's safe… She's passed on at long last"

"Passed on… She's gone?"

The man smiled softly as tears filled Ichigo's eyes, coming down from his perch and placing a gentle hand upon his shoulder.

"She wanted me to tell you something… 'Happy birthday and thank you for being you'. You really saved her bacon kid, she'd have been lost forever if she hadn't had you"

"… Masami"

"But I can't let you remember that you ever saw me. Don't worry, I'll let you remember Masami"

The strange man pulled something from his pocket and that was all Ichigo saw before his consciousness faded, the stranger watching as he fell back into the grass before opening the doors to the soul society once more. He'd done his duty here, but he got the strangest feeling that it wouldn't be the last time he saw this boy, or the last time that Masami would see him either.

Masami smiled softly as the night air pushed against her back, a soft humming passing her lips as she made her way through the streets of district 64, the hem of her kimono brushing against her skin as the sound of childish sobbing caught her ears.

Turning down one of the little side streets, she felt her heart wrench at the sight before her. A child, clad in torn clothes with tears staining his cheeks. She hated the sight of children crying.

"What's the matter little one?"

He gave a startled scream as he cowered away from the woman before him, the moon at her back as it made her long hair shine like a halo, her eyes shadowed from his sight except for the kindness glistening within. Was she an angel come to take his just like her parents had been taken?

"Who are you? You come to kill me too?"

Kneeling down, Masami couldn't help but notice how her heart clenched, he had eyes like Ichigo's. Such innocence. She smiled as she placed a gentle hand upon his head and spoke softly, soothing the young child.

"No, I've not… If you are scared of the monsters, then let me stay and scare them away for you"

Through the course of the night, she sat by the child's side in the filthy alley, humming a gentle song for him until he drifted into sleep, her voice still filling the night air as a gentle glow enveloped them both and kept the monster at bay.

"You have remarkable control for one with such raw spirit pressure"

She kept her shocked shout within her throat as she looked towards the voice, registering the uniform that he wore and the sword at his hip. As he took a step forward, she tightened her grip on the sleeping child, watching as he came to a stop and crouched down to their level.

"I've never felt spirit pressure like this… It's like you're very being is bathed in moonlight"

She frowned as she refused to take her eyes from him. What was he talking about? Didn't everyone in the soul society suffer from this strange pressure within their beings? Didn't everyone else hear a voice calling to them in their dreams?

"If you want to protect those you care about, like the children of the rukon district, then you need to learn to use your gift… and how to answer and speak the name of your zanpacto spirit"

Masami never looked back from the day she chose to enter the soul academy, never once doubted her choice as she heard clearly the voice of her zanpac-to and held it within her hand for the first time, felt the comfort of Marisha-ten within her soul and knew that she was no longer alone.

"Hey look, it's Masami Hoshigumo!"

"Oh wow, she really is as beautiful as they say"

"Yeah! The seniors weren't lying when they said she looked like an angel"

Masami merely smiled softly at the first year student words, feigning ignorance as she continued towards the proving grounds for her final exam. Today she would leave the academy and rise to the ranks of soul reaper. She'd worked too hard for failure to be an option now.

"Masami Hoshigumo. You stand before the head captain to prove your worthiness to join the ranks of the thirteen court guard squads. Your opponent shall be third year student Kaoru Tanaka, begin when you are both in your preferred battle stances"

Masami's eyes locked onto the other student. He was in the class below hers and due to graduate soon also. It seemed they were both being judged in this moment, but she wouldn't let him take this from her.

She remained calm as she watched Kaoru lunge forward, could see the sheer look of determination within his eyes as he raised his zanpac-to to land a blow against her. Her eyes registered the enjoyment within his smile as she began to raise her hand and create the hand signs she needed.

"Hadou number four: Byakurai"

The bolt of lightning surged from her fingertip and hit square against her target shoulder, breaking his concentration and causing him to lose the momentum of his movements. He relied too heavily upon brute force, couldn't he see that it wasn't always the way?

"Hadou number one: Sho"

Her next kido spell sent the boy flying back into the wall as she gave a sigh of exasperation and took a step forward, raising her zanpac-to in front of her.

"You lack the ability to think beyond the physical. But we all have our weaknesses and it is those that we must fortify. Whilst your weakness prevents you being able to use Kido effectively, my own prevents me from ever cutting you"

Kaoru pulled himself up, still clutching his zanpac-to as he clutched his busted shoulder with the other, Masami simply smiled and readied her own zanpac-to for battle.

"My Zanpac-to is one of light, it senses all that is good or evil in this world and, for that fact, I cannot cut you. But it is still dangerous for you because, despite its nature, it can still pack a fair blow to you if it senses that it's wielder is in danger… Which it believes to be the case"

Kaoru rushed her once more, not seeming to register anything that she had said, too caught in the bloodlust of his blade to realise that she was trying to guide him.

"Light the way: Marisha-Ten!"

The room was engulfed in a bright light as Kaoru covered his eyes to the rays, gasping as he moved the limb away and was met with the sight of a transformed Masami.

The room looked to be trapped within a perfect night sky, her hair that had once been held up now falling free in rivers of pure white down her back, the student uniform she had worn replaced with an equally as white kimono, a halo of stars shining above her head as she held her hand in a prayer motion before her. Where was her blade?

"You are wondering where Marisha-Ten has gone, no? She and I are one, this is our shikai form where she takes form within me and uses my body as her own… A human blade that your own blade cannot penetrate"

Her movements were a blur as she rushed forward, slashing at Kaoru with her left arm, smiling as he tried to dodge behind her.

"You cannot dodge a conscious blade"

Her leg kicked upwards, startling the other student and slashing against his chest, the cloth of his uniform ripping and a smatter of blood hitting the floor.

"That is enough!"

Masami came to a halt, eyes looking down upon Kaoru as she extended a hand towards him in an offering of peace, smiling gently when he took it, the pair watching as Masami separated from her Zanpac-to and her Skikai was brought to an end. The head captain and the instructor were watching the pair.

It was clear who of the two was ready to graduate and who still needed further training. Kaoru had not stood a chance against Masami's technique or Shikai. The instructor turned to the head captain, bowing low in respect as both Masdami and Kaoru did the same, their heads hung low as the head captain began to speak.

"Third year Masami Hoshigumo, it is clear that you are skilled in the art of both Kido and battle, that your sense of good and evil will stay your blade from ever attacking an innocent… You are ready, I believe, to join the ranks of the thirteen court guard squads. May your future be as bright as your blade"

Masami felt the pride burst within her chest as she spoke the gratitude she felt inside, feeling guilt also as the head captain turned to Kaoru, his message not as pleasant.

"Third year Kaoru Tanaka, your skills are still unrefined and you place too much dependence into sheer brute strength. A soul reaper must be able to think fast and have basic knowledge of all aspects of fighting. For this, I believe that you are not yet ready to graduate. Take a leaf from Hoshigumo's book and learn to use Kido to your advantage. You are both dismissed"

Neither she or Kaoru uttered a word t each other as they left the proving grounds and began towards their separate dorms. Masami wanted to apologise for begin the one to pass, but couldn't, what was there really to apologise for anyway?

"You shouldn't feel bad Masami… You've worked hard to get where you are, you didn't goof around. I only really paid attention in combat class… Guess I should have worked harder. Good luck Masami, when I finally graduate, I'm gonna train harder and beat you next time. So you better be a captain because there's no fun in just wooping a minion!"

Kaoru was gone before she could get a word in, leaving her to simply stare into the distance that he had disappeared towards.

"It's a promise"

*End flashback*

Masami smiled as she looked up towards the sky. She'd come a long way since her time in the living world. She'd lost count of how many times others would comment on how quickly she'd taken the chance to become a soul reaper, brushed off the comment about her abilities.

Sitting upon the roof top of the squad six barracks, she wondered if her young friend would ever recognise her once more if they ever met again.

"I hope you are well, dear Ichigo"

"Hey, Masami! You gonna sit up there all day? Get your ass down here"

Her laughter rang out like a bell as she flash stepped down to stand beside her squad lieutenant, a friendly smile upon both their faces as she elbowed him playfully.

"Oh? But I've finished all of my work so what need do I have to come down? Not done your own paperwork again Renji?"

The red head scowled in mock annoyance at the white haired woman, her smile radiant as he made to elbow her back, watching as she dodged and stuck her tongue out at him. She was like a dazzling beam of light, and as much as Renji wished he could reprimand her, he found that he couldn't.

For the first time since her time in the living world with Ichigo, Masami felt at peace. She just hoped that she could one day prove to the boy that she could repay the kindness he had shown her all those years ago.

Ok guys, so this is the first time I've done a bleach fanfic so please be kind in your criticism. I absolutely love bleach and I've been wanting to do a story for a while so here is the first chapter, please let me know what you thought :)

I'm planning on this being a pretty long story, covering from the beginning of the anime/manga where we saw Rukia being arrested to where the manga is up too currently with the Quincies and the thousand year war.

Also, i'm undecided on who to pair Masami with in the long run, I'm torn between Byakuya or Ukitake? opinions would be lovely!

Many thanks,

Crimsondagger