I shuffled my feet against the dead, bone covered ground looking around taking in my grim surroundings. Not really letting it faze me I fold my hands behind my back and look up at the tall man next to me, he had long pure white hair, though he doesn't look old enough to have white hair, against his pale skin his brown eyes pop out greatly. I look over to his right shoulder where a big brown bag was slung over it, sticking out against his Captains robe, "I can carry my own bag, Uncle Jushiro." I say sweetly to the older man.

He reached out and ruffled my shoulder length blonde hair, something everyone does to me and I can't stand it, he giving me a cherry lollipop. Just like a little kid I excitedly took it from him and stuck it in my mouth. "Don't worry about it!" he said while smiling down at me. I shifted my blue eyes in the direction we were heading; obviously annoyed by the fact I never can win with him.

Continuing on our way I put my hands behind my head and sigh of boredom, seriously how much longer is this going to take?

Jushiro looked down at me and smiled "Are you scared?" he asked me.

"Hu~h?" I stopped for a moment to look up at him in confusion.

"Coming through the gate for your first time it must me really scary and creepy to you, right?"

"What are you talking about Uncle? There's nothing here to be scared of" I stated bluntly "Besides…" I continued "I think it's pretty cool!" I smiled up at the confused man.

"B-bu-but you're terrified of scary movies! So I thought…"

"That's completely different, Uncle Jyuushiro, scary movies are fake so that's why I don't like them!" I paused for a moment to think of the right way to say it, "Real life things are more…exciting than scary, don't cha think?"

He looked at me dumbfounded, "You are one strange child."

I giggled at that statement, "You're not the first to say that!" I smiled at the man as we continued on our way. Soon there was a noticeable light at the end of the tunnel signaling our arrival to Sole Society.

As we passed through the gate we were welcomed by some other soul reapers "Welcome back Captain!" They say bowing to my uncle and giving me a strange look.

I tilted my head a little at them "What?"

I hear Jushiro laughing next to me "Don't worry about it Ashley!" he said ruffling my hair again, and I stick the lollipop in my mouth angrily. "They probably think you're dressed weirdly!" I look down at my clothing, what's wrong with it? I wore a military patterned mini skirt, a tight black tank top hugging my forming curves of a young teen and an already b cup chest, I had a black choker on with matching fingerless gloves and a pair of black knee high heelless boots. "But, it's most likely because you're European." He said smiling down on me.

"No I'm American. I have a European background but I wasn't born there so I'm not European. That's how things work in our world."

"Is that so?" …Somehow I feel he's not listening to me…

"Hey Ukitake!" I heard someone yell from the right of us.

"Oh hello Kyouraku" Jushiro replied. "Ashley, this is Shunsui Kyouraku he's Captain of the 8th division of the Gotei 13 guards." I say hi giving him a small smile since I'm usually shy meeting new people.

"Oh, so you're Ashley I've heard a lot about you kid." He said ruffling my hair just like Jushiro.

"Humph, I'm not a kid I'm 13!" I said puffing out my cheeks.

He gave a deep laugh "Whatever you say kid!"

"Uncle can we go already?! He keeps teasing me!" he just gave me a nervous laugh as we started walking again with Captain Kyouraku fallowing us. "Does he have to come?" I ask annoyed at the older man now walking on my right hand side with Jushiro on my left.

"Of course I do since I'm his best friend!" Kyouraku said in a baby voice.

"…I'm not two…" I stated bluntly giving him the stink eye. The two men let out deep throaty laughs for whatever reason I don't know. I puffed out my cheeks in frustration again "Hmph, mean-e!"

I sat there swinging my legs that were dangling from the high chair I was in, my arms resting on the table and my head on top of my arms, staring, or al least trying to stare at the man hidden behind a mound of paperwork. "Are you sure you don't want my help?" I asked.

A laugh came from the mound of papers, "Yea Ash, you can't read or write in Japanese so you wont be of much help."

A slight blush played at my cheeks "Oh yeah sorry." It was silent for a few moments, "all this paperwork is my fault huh?" I asked him. He just gave me a confused look, "I mean because you had to come get me and taken me in all this work piled up because of it!" I said cutting him off from what he was going to say.

"Come on!" Jushiro said while picking up a stack of papers heading for the door while I had a really confused look on my face while my blue eyes followed his retreating form. "These papers are done so why don't we take the chance to get a little fresh air!" He smiled back at me.

"Okay!" I exclaimed hopping off the chair.

Feeling the warm sun shine onto my skin I happily hum a random melody exaggerating my arm swings as we walked through the streets. "You know uncle I've been here a while now and all I've really seen is your division barracks and Captain Kyouraku's, why's that?"

"Hmm, u can go out on your own if you want to look around" Jushiro answered simply.

"Are you kidding me? I'd get lost!" I exclaimed while he laughed at my childish behavior.

"Ah looks like were here!" He exclaimed excitedly. I stopped, unwrapped, and shoved a blueberry lollipop into my mouth and looking up at the big building in front of me.

"Where are we?" I asked tilting my head to the side taking in the design of the building.

"This is where the Captain Commander is" he smiled down at me.

"You mean the old guy that runs this place you told me about?" I state broadly putting my hands behind my head, fingers tangled in my two low pig tails.

"Ashley!"

"Wha~t?"

"Don't talk about the Commander like that!"

I looked at the retreating man before me "What'd I do?" I mumbled now slouched with my arms dangling at my side, and scurried to catch up.

Standing slightly behind my uncle, letting my nervous side, when meeting new people, get the better of me, I stared up towards the old man the sat behind the huge desk in the middle of an enormous room.

"You must be Ashley"

"y-yes sir" I replied in an almost whisper grabbing hold of Jushiro's haori averting my eyes to the floor out of habit.

"I knew your Father," the Captain Commander said out of no where, "he was a good man."

I look back up to see him looking at me now, up till now it seemed as though he was avoiding a gaze between the two of us. "Yeah" I finally answer after a wile and let go of my uncles' haori feeling a little more at ease. "Thank you" I avert my gaze again not liking the awkward moment.

"Since you're here take these documents to the second division Captain?" the Captain Commander told Jushiro before we left the room.

"Yes sir!" he replied while bowing to the man and leaving with me trotting behind him. Before the doors closed I took one last look at the old man and see him staring intensely as me, why…why does everyone here look at me so strangely for?... I'm not that weird looking am I?!

"Hey Uncle?"

"Yes what is it?" the tall man looked down at me smiling with his eyes closed.

"Hmm, never mind it's nothing…" I replied in a monotone and Jushiro stopped suddenly. I look up at him to see him with a very serious look on his face and I let out a big sigh. "I mean it it's nothing…" he's still giving that 'tell me this instant young lady!' look. "Fine! I was just gunna ask ya why these guys are dressed as ninjas when you're soul reapers! Geez!" with that said everyone in the hallway stops and stares at me with a weird look and my arms drop from over my chest to behind my back with my head hanging in embarrassment. Without thinking I ran off into a random direction wanting to get away from those people who heard me.

I stopped running once I got to a random spot and noticed that I was completely lost …. Why is every building in this place so huge?! I'm always getting lost! I let out a sigh and started to walk again running my hand along the rail on the outer part of the building "such a beautiful building though" I smiled to myself taking in the antique feel of the place.

Hmm, what's that? I hear noise coming from a room just ahead of me. I peek around the corner to see what was going on and find some men or women, cant tell because of the clothing, training and decided to watch them for a while thinking that my Uncle will find me eventually if I stay in one spot.

"Ahhhh!" I scream jumping to the side and onto my butt, glad that I decided to wear pants today by the way, dodging the shuriken that came flying my way. "w-what was that for?!" I yelled at the guy who threw the shuriken at me.

"You're trespassing little girl" he said sternly while taking out some kunai getting ready to attack again.

"What's going on here?!" I hear a woman's voice and turn to see a very short and skinny woman with long black hair in two low ponytails and wearing the usual soul reaper uniform with a captain's haori over top.

"Captain!" I saw everyone in the room go down on one knee and bow in front of her. Hmm, either she's really strong or their all just whipped! Ha-ha! I laughed inwardly at my own joke. Nice to finally see a powerful woman even if she is tiny. "We found her spying on us so we took action!"

I heard a sly laugh from around the corner and recognized it immediately "Sorry Captain Soi Fong" I see the man come around the corner scratching his head awkwardly, "I should have kept a better eye on her."

"Uncle…" I say plainly at his statement "it's partly your fault" I mumble to myself.

"So this is her huh?" Captain Soi Fong says and looks down at me, though it feels as if she's glaring daggers into me.

"Um, hi…" I give an awkward smile and a small wave of my hand. She just raised an eyebrow at me and then an awkward silence followed until I spoke up again. "Miss. Soi Fong?"

"mmm, what is it?" She said while watching her subordinates train.

"If it's okay with you, I was wondering if I could come back here and watch them practice again?" She turned to look at me with a compelling gaze. "It's just that I've always been into martial arts is all" I say shying away turning my gaze towards the ground underneath me.

Unknowing to me she turned giving a warming smile saying "Wouldn't you rather learn than watch?"

That snapped me back with surprise, "Really?!" I said while giving a really goofy grin while Captain Soi Fong just kept smiling down at me and gave me a nod. That just made me smile wider as I leaped from my feet and wrapping my arms around her in a big hug and knocking her over all the while yelling, "Thank you so much!"