She ran. Ran as fast as her feet could take her. This thing wanted her. Wanted to eat her.

The creature gave a massive roar that ripped from it's throat, making the air thick with fear as the girl pushed further, attempting desperately to ignore the rising fear and sense of futility in her stomach. She flew around a corner into a narrow lane, hoping, desperately hoping that the small capacity of the lane will hold off the monster with the bone-white mask and the gaping hole, just that little bit until she created another way to escape it. Pressing her back up against the cool rough wall, she tried her hardest to calm her ragged breath whilst also thinking of where to go

Where to go.

She didn't even know where she was, who she was. Where could she possibly go?

SLAM!

The wall to her right crashed down instantly into rubble, another menacing roar signaling the arrival of the very thing she was running from. As a scream was about to claim the air that surrounded her, a brilliant flash of orange and black with the gleam of silver bolted past her.

The girl's eyes could simply not follow the agility of this newcomer as she huddled down on her knees. Her brain couldn't comprehend the insane speed of the being, that violently rushed pass. The monster didn't seem to be able to understand either, rearing back after being dealt a slash across the upper torso, blood instantly splurging out onto the concrete and strangled cry rising up in the air.

Without hesitating, the orange-haired youth whipped his deadly blade upwards and sliced clean through the leering mask of the monster. The creature gurgled out its last cry, before slowly dissolving into tiny specks of glowing matter until it had completely disappeared.

The youth then turned around, sheathing his sword calmly, as though it was a daily occurrence for this to happen.

Silence hung in the air as the savior gaged the girl's reaction to what she witnessed. The girl had dirty blonde hair that fell to her mid back, a crumpled, soiled, white summer dress and had no shoes, only bare feet, dirty and bloody. Her hands clutched onto the hem of her dress that sat around her folded knees, until her knuckles turned whiter than she already was. Her eyebrows were slightly knitted together over her light blue eyes, swirling with many emotions, the strongest being gratitude.

The girl also observed the hero that saved her as he stood before her. He straightened his back, proud and tall, though had a permanent scowl set on his features underneath his tufts of bright auburn hair. His black uniform not even ruffled in the slightest from the fight that occurred just moments ago. The eyes of her savior were captivating, so deep and rich of colours, so rare in brown-eyed people. She could see amber and flecks of gold in those orbs. Even slight swirls of silver too.

"Oi, you okay?"

The girl snapped out of her staring of the teenager as she heard the rough, but oddly pleasing sound, of his voice. She nodded in reply to him. Just as she was about to thank him, another voice sounded out from quite some distance away.

"Ichigo, what are you waiting for? Perform the Soul Burial on that girl already!" A petite, raven-haired called out in an unusually deep yet still feminine voice.

The youth shook his head suddenly as if he was trying to refocus on something. He then took focus on the girl and started to take vast strides towards the still huddled girl. When he was within reaching distance of the blonde-haired girl, he stopped suddenly, a confused look spreading across his face, though, remarkably, his scowl still showing signs of being present.

"Rukia! We may have a problem with that!" The teen, Ichigo, called to the girl. The girl named Rukia zoomed over to the pair of them, her strides bold and fast even for an average sized person, never mind someone so small!

As soon as Rukia reached them, he eyebrows furrowed down in a similar manner to Ichigo's, matching his confusion. She stared at the girl intensely for the next few minutes, cocking her head one way then the either, viewing her from different angles. The blonde haired girls started to nervously play with her hair and shrunk away slightly from the stare she was receiving from a pair of violet eyes. Who were they? And why were they out slaying monsters and then staring at the person that they rescued!

The ebony haired girl stood back, seeming to come to some sort of conclusion.

"She's human and she's still alive. She sure is pale enough to be a soul though. She has low levels of Spirit Pressure, that's probably what drew the Hollow in. That pendant round her neck does look like a chain, I can see why we mistook her for a soul. "

Ichigo nodded his head in understanding and faced the still crouched girl. She looked between them both befuddled by what they were on about. Alive? Of course she was alive! How could she not be? Spirit Pressure? What the-? Hollows… She can reckon what that was. That foul monster from earlier with the gaping hole. The name was fitting enough.

"Where do you live? We'll make sure you get home safely." He spoke to her in a tone that was not harsh, but not quite soft and gentle either. It was more in a familiar way, like he was speaking to friend or classmate, something the girl didn't expect. But after the initial shock of his tone and attitude towards her vanished, a panic started to work its way back into her core, making her feel uneasy.

"I don't know…" She whispered, looking around the area, anywhere to avoid looking at her hero. She felt stupid for not knowing where she lived. Hell, for not even knowing her own name! Age! Her family, if she even had one! Nothing!

"Amnesia…" The raven haired girl stated simply, her hand tucked under her chin in thought. Ichigo's facial expression barely changed, but his eyes gave away his emotions. In those orbs, concern and worry flitted about, wide and clear for anyone to read.

"We need to take her to Urahara's. He'll be able to help, if not, then at least give her a roof over her head until we find away to sort this out. We can't go to the hospital about this, not after having Hollows involved is this." Ichigo's tone was firm and Rukia didn't look like she was about to disagree with him.

Finally, the blonde- haired girl stood up from her crouched position, reaching up to nearly as tall as Ichigo.

"Thank you so much for saving me from… whatever that was and I don't mean to be rude but seriously, what's this all about? I have no idea what you two are talking about? Who are you?" The girl stated in a strong confident voice, which contrasted with the voice she used before. The last questions specifically aimed at Ichigo as she began to stare at him intently again. She wasn't scared of them; they had saved her after all. A bit wary of them, they seemed to know things that she did not. But being a victim of amnesia, that wasn't saying a lot.

"Don't worry, we will answer all your questions in a more suitable environment. We need you to trust us for the time being." Rukia said, a small smile gracing her pixie-like features.

"Lily."

"Sorry, what?" Rukia turned round to Ichigo, cocking an eyebrow up.

"On her pendant."

Both girls looked at the simple oval pendant and indeed, it had the name 'Lily' engraved in cursive writing.

"Lily it is then." Then the girl, Lily, broke out into a huge smile and she, Ichigo and Rukia headed away from the rubble of the alleyway.