A/N: I've mentioned them before in some of my other fics, both original and in fanfiction, but I never actually utilized them. For those out there who are reading this and have no idea what I'm talking about that is perfectly fine. You don't need to know what I'm talking about to enjoy the story. For those that do, I hope you picked out that I am refering to the fear of all worlds the Abyssmal and the Abyss Space. Anyway, enough ramble and onto the story. Please enjoy.

I ask that if you do read this story that you review and tell me what you think. It is my first time writing a character like Retsu and I am just hoping I get her right.

Chapter One: Strategic Placement

The star filled ebony of night embraced all of Soul Society in restful sleep. All except for the few shinigami that had nightly guard duty in their respective divisions. One could watch as they patrolled around their individual compounds. Their lanterns bobbed as they strode.

Others were up this late as well, whether it was the busy musings of the Twelfth Division's Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri as he fiddles with an experiment, or the passive patrolling of Kyoraku Shunsui in an attempt to get himself to sleep.

Yet no shinigami could have known what was coming that night. No shinigami could see these beings as two pull themselves from the shadows. All the shinigami could do was touch them and notice their spiritual abilities. This is what made them deadly. This is what made them strong.

They were advanced scouts sent to determine the threat that these shinigami could pose to them. After all, these human spirits had been evolving for quite some time. Their might actually be some enjoyment in watching them destroyed.

"What shall we do?" A small dog shaped shadow creature said with a slight chuckle. It stood about waist high to the person next to it and had long thick spines growing off of its back.

"Our orders are to find the most powerful of these beings and see how their power levels compare to that of the Nights." The humanoid one said in a cold sadistic tone. Her raven hair dropped down and rested just above her hips. She adjusted a pair of black gloves onto her hands. They were all that were left of what vague memories she had. "We'll split up."

"Understood." The canine laughed as the two launched in two separate directions. Each of them was searching for the strongest shinigami in hopes of finding some worthy to join their ranks when this world fell under their rule.

Morning came to Unohana Retsu as it always did. She was usually the first of anyone in Seireitei to awaken. She liked to watch the sun rise on the horizon to greet the new day. She was shocked at what she saw when she opened her window's curtains. The sun was rising, but it wasn't the sun that usually rose.

The orb was purple in color and grew just like the normal sun except it rose into the dark night sky. The calm captain regained her composure quickly and walked to her lieutenant's room. She woke her lieutenant as well as three or four other members of her squad and quickly asked the question if they saw the purple sun.

Her lieutenant turned to her and placed a hand on her captain's forehead before suggesting that maybe she should take the day off. For she and the other members of the Fourth Division the sun was as yellow as it has always been and the sky was a beautiful sky blue.

Retsu decided against her second's advice though a good response for the situation. She still had much to do, but she did decide to take it easy and let her lieutenant take care of all non urgent business while she worked out some paperwork in her office.

A knock alerted Retsu to someone outside after her gaze had returned to, for her at least, the still darkened sky. "Yes."

"The Second Division Captain wishes to see you, mam." Retsu's fifth seat said calmly.

"Have you told her that if it is not urgent to speak to Isane." Retsu returned to her paperwork as she spoke in her calm manner.

"She is refusing to speak to anyone but you, mam." The fifth seat said before an acknowledging nod made him leave. Shortly later the door opened and in walked the person who had to see the Fourth Division's Captain.

"May I ask the problem, Soi Fon?" Retsu calmly motioned her to take a seat in front of her. Isane would be having enough of a fit as it was for the captain to be seeing someone when it wasn't urgent. "I'm not under investigation am I?"

"No, this is a more personal matter." Soi Fon said calmly as she sat across from the other captain. "I think something is wrong with my eyes."

"Why would you believe that?" Retsu looked up from her paperwork to notice that the younger captain was focusing on the window. "Is your vision blurry? Are you having problems reading?"

"Nothing that trivial." Soi Fon said harshly. She didn't mean to be harsh to her equal but it was the easiest way to say what she needed to say. "When I woke this morning it was still night out and a purple sun was in the sky."

"I see." Retsu stood as she cupped her chin in her palm. If more than one person saw the same hallucination then it must not be a hallucination. It led her to question whether it was only captains that were able to see what had happened to the sky. No there would have been a captain's meeting if Yamamoto saw the same thing that the two girls in the room saw, and it couldn't have just been amongst females. Isane did not see what she did.

"What is it Retsu." Soi Fon pulled the medical captain out of her musings.

"I don't think there is anything wrong with your eyes Soi Fon." Retsu sighed calmly. "Otherwise I would be having the same problem. I too see the night sky and the purple sun. I just think that no one else does."

How she hated yellow light. It made her feel highly uncomfortable, but until the invasion started the sun in this world's sky would be its yellow color. Then once the purple sun of their universe rose on this world, not a soul would be left alive.

She however could not be distracted by the current sky. She had information to memorize for her superior. It seemed that the main power of this group of beings, these shinigami as they were called, was that of the ones that wore the white coat over their black kimonos. She had also learned that there were thirteen of these white clad beings and each one ruled over their own group of lower shinigami.

She unfortunately could not locate the ones with the symbols for two, three, four, five, and nine on their uniforms. She figured they were inside the buildings she was looking at. Unfortunately, she was still solid to these types of beings and would not be able to travel freely or safely inside the buildings.

Suddenly, the white haired boy who wore the symbol for ten on his white coat turned and looked directly at her. He appeared to have sensed her presence, but still couldn't see her. She grinned as he shrugged it off and went back to work.

"This is just going to be too easy." She chuckled as she continued to memorize the captain's habits.