The storm had taken hold over the town; the rain lashing down, with some thunder and lightning added for a bit of drama. The blonde haired vizard, Shinji Hirako stood by the window as the weather preformed.

The whole scene infront of him was always different, the flashes of lightning appeared in different ways while the roar of thunder never sounded the same twice. However, storms always took him back. back to when he was a Soul Reaper, when he first joined the academy with the other recruits.

There was one missing; there were eight in total, however, back then there was another; a girl, one who he thought would have come to help them (and as such have been cursed as they were), but didn't.

Shinji learned later on from Urahara that she was going to investigate on her own; with out her own Captains knowledge, however she had been prevented from doing so. They never saw her again, after they left to go to the human world, they didn't really expect to see anyone from their past.

Shinji managed to find her, on a night similar to the one before him, and she was ready to attack and kill him; should have, but she didn't.

Instead she looked at him intensly, the rain lashing down heavily; both of them getting soaked. Shinji only wore his yellow shirt and trousors, while she had on the normal Soul reaper uniform.

Slowly she moved a bit closer.

He held up in arms in surrender, his attempt to ressure her. Though she was not easily fooled, she knew very well that Shinji was quick, and although she had no idea what he was like with his additional skills; for she gathered he must have some, she was still on guard.

"Why?" She asked.

He looked at her, glancing at her dark hair plastered over her head; wondering at the same time why she never became Vice-Captain.

"Why what?"

She narrowed her brown eyes at him; "Why did you leave?!"

He just looked at her, taking in her frustration. Was she frustrated at him? Or the whole situation they were now in?

"To be executed?"

"I heard nothing of you..." She snapped at him, running a hand through her soaked hair; "Aizen told me that you and the other's were gone, he presumed dead; since what you became..."

"Aizen told you this," He stated.

"Who else would have told me? The other's avoided me, my own Captain refused to speak to me about such matters. Aizen wanted me to be transferred to your... The 5th Division," She quickly corrected herself, feeling a blush creep up at her minor mistake. It had been over a hundred years since he had gone! Why did she make such a stupid error?

"So, you've been under Aizen... Enjoying it?"

She glared at him; "I refused to leave my position. Although I was thinking of his offer... But then I remembered that there was no point, I wanted to go to be closer to you; and you were no longer there," She glared right at him; "You left me alone!" There was more than rain running down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry...." He began and she moved into his open arms; "The Hollows over took us. We had to leave, to be able to control ourselves. Ever since that day, we've been in the real world,"

She rested her head on his shoulder, realizing that the memory was one thing, but the real thing was something altogether different; "You didn't leave..." In fact, it felt better.

"Not by choice," He said into her ear.

She became silent, enjoying him holding her, but knowing that she had to go; "I need to go back,"

Slowly, Shinji let her go; "So, now what?"

"You're not a Hollow... You pose no danger to the humans... There isn't any need to tell the Captains about this,"

"You know it's only a matter of time before they learn that we are alive and well," Shinji pointed out to her.

She shook her head; "Maybe but…"

"There's no maybe," He said; "They'll learn soon, once Aizen makes his move…."

"You'll all be there?" She raised an eyebrow.

"You think we'd just leave it to you guys?" He said in all seriousness; "I think we are the one's who need to get back at him, to remind him what he did that day to us, and what a fool he was for not trying to finish us all off,"

She remained silent, feeling guilty for obeying the orders and not going after them; "If I had just…"

"You'd be with us,"

"That would be far better than being there,"

"Then the guilt would be mine," Shinji told her, gently caressing her cheek; "Either way, the what if's would just give us both guilt, and we don't want that,"

"I know, but; you're here,"

"And you are there,"

Her shoulder's sagged, she knew that there was nothing either of them could do; it didn't matter if they cared for each other deeply; she was still a shinigami and he was a vizard. Nothing could happened between them; nothing. They now lived in separate worlds, where she was dealing with Hollows and obeying the rules and laws of the shinigami; while he lived in the human realm, most likely bending the rules to suit him.

What they had was in the past, and it had to remain there; 100 years have passed.

Perhaps this was what she needed; she had to see him again, one last time; to finally realize that she can live without him and that she can move on.

The blonde vizard could see it was the end for them, their own personal storm had come full circle. She had seen him, and she was going to let him go; the only problem was; was he willing to let go of her?

Or more to the point; could he actually let her go? Physically he could, but emotionally?

He had to try, because from what he could tell, she certainly was ready to let him loose and find someone else. Perhaps that is what he needs.

Someone to actually let him go.

To free him.

"I guess I'll…" She paused, 'see you around'? it was unlikely that she would, instead she left with a slight wave.

"You know that this really could be the end," He called out to her.

"What?"

"There's no way of knowing that either of us will survive this war,"

"It will be a good death," She told him, and noticed his eyes narrowed.

"Tch, you'd better not die. You owe me," He told her, and she blushed.

"All right, I shall see you on the battle field," She said and began to disappear from view with a slight wave.

Shinji sighed, the rain was stopping, and he knew that there was still a thread that kept them together; it wasn't much, and either of them could snap it. But not yet; gods not yet. They still had something far bigger to deal with; once that was over, then they could deal with each other.

That would be the next storm to come. And surely they could weather that?