Chapter 1: To the Future

Date: 12-12-12

Time: 12:06

Fears: End of the world

Occupation: Freshman

I counted the seconds, staring at the second hand of clock hanging on the wall of my kitchen. So, this is it… The moment of truth. I realized. If something doesn't happen, I'll be fine…right? If something happens, I'll be fine... I was trying to convince myself.

12:07

My mind drifted slightly as the inky black hand started another lap. What might happen at the end of the world…? Do we all die?

12:08

Or do we all go to another dimension?

12:09

It would be nice to go to the Bleach dimension…even for a while…

12:10

And live with the Kurosakis…I never had a father…

12:11

My mother raised me the best she could… I swear...

12:12

I want to (escape) go to the Bleach dimension.

BOOM!

A deafening noise crashed through my house and surrounded me. There was scarcely time to turn my head and see a gigantic white light crashing in around me, suffocating me. The ground, the walls, everything broke off to float into it and disappear into the light. But even if I was given a chance to run, I wouldn't have. I wanted to go to the Bleach dimension, after all.

12:13

The ledge that I now stood on was eaten completely and I fell off into oblivion. I didn't struggle, or even react save a flutter of my eyes and my arms flying up with my hair. This will be…wonderful…I am sure of it. There was no alternative; it couldn't get any worse...right?

...

It's cold…and wet…and... Is that…rain…?

...

I came around to the sound of screaming. Slowly my eyes opened, and blinked rapidly to shield my eyes from the pouring rain. What's with this weather…? I looked around, my senses coming back to me. I was lying under something heavy on sharp stones. Squirming, I felt something ooze onto me as it joined more of its brethren on my shirt. Looking down curiously, my eyes widened to an impossible degree.

On top of me was a woman. A dead woman. My stomach immediately started to whirl and flip-flop. I desperately avoided looking at her. Now searching for help, or at the very least a distraction from the blood that has already stained my memory, I registered that we seemed to be next to a flooded river; it was clearly not supposed to be this high. Hearing a blood curdling scream, my dull eyes looked up the small slippery hill to see an elderly lady pointing and screaming. A few people immediately ran to her assistance as she pointed in horror at us. The whipped their heads around and their eyes widened as time seemed to stop for them. They seem unable to process what they were staring at; it was just too surreal.

A child, under a woman who had a gigantic gaping hole that carved through her entire body.

Another person suddenly ran up and immediately began to shout orders as the group snapped to attention; immediately they rushed down to my (our?) aid. I barely registered as the group skidded to a stop around us. My attention was focused on the elderly woman, who was now calling the police on her cellphone. No... Don't do that... I slowly realized. I'll get...in trouble... My thoughts were faint; the blood swarmed my senses.

Only faintly recognizing both the sound and the vision of someone falling to their knees before my head to start helping the others remove the carcass off of me, I attempted to look at them. But all too soon, I was falling unconscious yet again. Eyes rolling back into my head, I was unable to feel the hands of the stranger trying to resuscitate me.

...

"This is the girl they found lying under my wife?" a male voice asked. It seemed tired, and clearly distraught. "There should've been a boy… A boy with bright orange hair, impossible to miss!" The voice was growing anxious now. Hearing the familiar sound of something drop with a gasp and a rustle of cloth, I could assume the voice was holding someone by their clothes above the ground. "Where's my boy?!" the man practically yelled.

"Sir!" A strangled voice replied quickly. In a flash I heard him being dropped and someone storming loudly out of the room, the door being slammed. After a few long, antagonizing seconds I heard clothes being readjusted, a sigh, and the dropped item being picked up. I heard the mystery figure pause before suddenly talking to me. This surprised me; I was not used to someone seeing through my sleep façade.

"You don't have to keep pretending anymore. He's gone." The previously choked voice was now gentle and soothing. Anxious yet wary to see where I was, I opened up my eyes to see a male doctor. He seemed to be mid-twenties, with spiked short (but professional) maroon hair, gray-eyes and professional white coat attire on. "You'll have to forgive him." He instructed me as I examined him. I noticed that he was carrying a clipboard, which was probably the dropped item. "He is going through a very hard time right now. His wife just passed away." He explained, and I simply stared at him.

"Was that the lady I woke up under?" I asked him innocently; unconsciously kneading the white covers on the hospital bed I had been given. He looked at me, surprised.

"So you remember? That's good. Usually when that happens to patients, especially little children like you, they block out all of the memories around the incident." He explained, and my gaze suddenly turned into a storm of confusion as I squinted against the light of the soon-to-be setting sun outside the window on my other side.

"I know I might be on the shorter side, but I know I look around my age - I'm 15!" I told him defiantly, complaining a tiny bit.

In return the doctor laughed a heartily while handing me a mirror. "Does this face look like it belongs to a teenager?" he asked as I took the mirror, carefully sitting up before I looked into it. My eyes widened with shock as I softly touched my face.

"What…?" My soft voice was barely above a whisper.

I was staring at myself, my mind screeching to a halt before it finally recognized who was staring back at me.

It was a younger version of me. I looked like I had when I was nine; dirty and scraggly long dirty-blonde hair, and my surprisingly adult-like figure. Maturing early had its advantages, but seemed to have more disadvantages where I grew up. My dull brown eyes examined this all with shock. How could this happen?!

Suddenly reaching over to the table on my bedside, I checked the pile of my clothes and saw I had been wearing my old favorite blue shirt with the koi fish on it and my dark blue jeans with the sparkles on them – an outfit that had long ago been destroyed. Pushing the pile back I sat back and sighed at my reflection, my brain spinning a mile a minute. I was older than this! I remember it! Eyes narrowing, I was unable to comprehend the change my body had gone through.

"Is…something wrong…?" The Doctor asked, stupefied. My eyes widened as I realized the intense look I was giving my reflection before looked over at him questioningly. "Oh! By the way you can call me Dr. Randoll. Good?" he asked me. I nodded.

"Okay, now this might seem a little scary," he started. "But I need you to tell me and the gentlemen that I'm bringing in here everything that you remember when I get back. I need to go get them so we can make sure everything's okay, okay?" he asked me. His eyes flicked to my C chest and stared for a few seconds. Slow on the uptake, it took a few seconds to realize what he was staring at.

"Hey." I warned him, using a serious voice. "I don't fancy perverts." I growled and he went pink.

"I-It's not like that!" he pleaded, putting a comical look on his face.

"Sure, sure…" I growled at him. Despite the warning, my voice came off as a possibly playful tone - I was much too tired to fight, and even my movements lacked energy. "Then why were you staring at my breasts then?" I asked, forcing my voice to take up an evil tone.

He jumped and went bright pink before practically running out of the room, leaving an upset 'child' stuck in her hospital bed.

I stared for a few seconds after he left, not completely believing they would let such a pervert care for young children. Gross! I thought of sticking out my tongue at the door before looking out the large window next to my bed, figuring my energy was better left to rebuild itself. My eyes now searched the tall buildings for some form of entertainment, and something seemed to completely click within me suddenly. "This skyline…" It's so familiar… Where have I seen this place before…? "This is Bleach." I realized aloud before my eyes widened and smile made its way onto my face. The shock of this whole situation was getting to me and triggering my terrible reflex of smiling at something that really shouldn't be smiled at.

"Oh my god...this is Bleach!" I repeated again, this time a little louder. My mind fell silent for a few minutes, absorbing this new information like a sponge. 'What now'? Seemed to be the adequate question here.

My head turned as I gazed at the quickly setting sun, admiring its beauty. The town of Karakura was basked in a golden glow, the light reflecting off the buildings and the clouds that surrounded it. Taking in the sight, I watched, entranced, as a large cloud passed over the sun, hiding a large portion of it. The city lights once again shined, lighting up the city on their own unnatural accord. The cloud disguised the most of sunset before finally releasing the golden glow as the sun made a spectacular show of dipping below the horizon. The warm beams faded away as the street lamps flickered on.

I want to become a Soul Reaper... The thought summoned itself unconsciously, yet I knew that it was truer to my heart than the boldest truth I had ever spoken before. Being a Soul Reaper had somewhat become a fantasy of mine; it was an escape from the life I lived.

"But…" I suddenly realized. "But what about Mommy…?" Sadness now gnawed at me; my smile faded away as my conscious started to pick up speed, running through what I had learned and what could've happened – whathad already happened.

My attention was drawn away from the darkness as I heard a cart rattle outside my door and the click of shoes walking passed. I need to be careful… I thought, realizing the gravity of the situation. If they find out I'm not from around here, who knows what could happen… It was a natural reaction for me; if you make a fool of yourself out on the streets, then no good will come of it. This may not be the streets, but it certainly wasn't home either – putting the fact aside that I had to be even more careful there, of course.

Okay, think Sydney, think… You've planned out what you're going to say if something like this ever happens… Oh, what was it? My mental tone was tense and slightly demanding, but it held little power besides that; I was still mentally exhausted from what happened earlier. I had reviewed possibilities for situations like this seemingly hundreds of times, yet none of them could come to mind. I suppose I really should've kept my head out of the clouds…

I know you didn't plan for this exactly, but still...! I forced my thoughts to calm down; it would be no good to go into this situation with a scattered brain. Sorting myself out, I slowly began to form a plan. I know I might have to wing it at some parts, but…as long as I remember everything I say, down to every word, I'll be fine… At least, I hope so. My hope was desperate; there was no Mommy to save me here. My keen ears picked up quiet 'tapping's against the cold and hard hospital floor.

Soon two men in black walked in with Dr. Randoll. One of the two burly officers pulled out a notepad while the other told me to tell them whatever I may remember prior, during, and after the accident. And so, after the initial wide-eyed shock and realization that I would be forced to face the police, I began.

"Well you see sir I was on my way to find dinner," I paused for a second, seeing if the one watching me like a hawk and not writing would interject.

He did, as expected. "Doesn't your family feed you?"

"I don't have a family, sir." I saw all of the room's occupant's eyes widen largely.

"H-How do you live?!" the doctor asked me, now at the completely opposite end of the emotion pole he had been at earlier.

I forced a nonchalant shrug. "I just do what I gotta to survive. I really want a family someday, I really really do!" I told him in my cutest orphan voice, using the method that would usually have people caving in and feeding me when I was on one of my pursuits to hunt my own dinner - if I didn't have some truth to these lies, I knew I would not remember them.

I saw the doctor put a hand on his face while he turned around so I couldn't see him. I knew that I now had one down - two to go.

"Gosh, what's wrong, sir?" I asked him innocently. I had to be sure he was a goner. He waved me off without answering. I think he's sensitive to this kind of thing… I realized, reflecting that I had barely just started speaking.

"Go on." The officer ordered, eyes briefly flicking to the doctor. "You were telling us that you were going to find dinner…where were you exactly?" the officer proposed a question.

I nodded childishly, trying to hide what had happened to my body. Act like a cute little kid Sydney! I know you can do it! I couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling that something terrible would happen if these two government agents found out about whom – or I guess in this case what – I am. "Yeah, I was out finding dinner. I was near where you guys found me, except I was walking on the sidewalk next to the river. That lady was there walking on the sidewalk too, except she was across from me. She was all alone, and I could tell she had an eye on me. She was probably going to ask me where my parents were if it didn't happen…" and this is where I start to wing it, I realized grimly.

"What happened?" the officer asked, watching me even closer before.

"I wish I could tell you sir, I really do…but it happened so fast…" acting pained, I put a hand to my head. I noticed the doctor turn around, his eyes flashed in understanding. He assumes that I can't remember it - and that it's causing me pain! I realized, closing my eyes in false pain. The more I can play into the pain, the sooner these officers will be gone…and the safer I will be.

"She can't answer." Dr. Randoll told them immediately. "See, her head is hurting. It'd be unwise to push her far, the memory might get pushed deeper…" he trailed off as the lead officer looked at him, contemplating the situation.

An eternity seemed to pass before he responded. "All right." He decided. "What else can you remember?" he asked me.

"I remember waking up under the lady and then my eyes rolled into the back of my head, so I blacked out." I stated simply, accidently dropping my act somewhat while I spoke. I had to hide my amusement at the face of the grossed officer who was writing – clearly he was a newbie. Then again, I do make a point of not imagining such things even when I say them… The lead officer then nodded at this man, who closed his notebook. Both of their eyes now turned to me; I was suddenly unsure if they bought my story, and I felt the temperature of the room skyrocket as I broke out in a nervous sweat.

"I'll be going and talking to that man that was in here earlier. He told me that he wanted to see you before I came in here. Is it okay we let him in here when we're done? He's calmed down now." He explained, looking at my doctor for confirmation as well. I nodded, calming down now that I knew they had believed my lies, and Dr. Randoll followed suit. Maybe he knows what's going on... But I won't say anything unless he starts it. I decided as the officer nodded. Gesturing to his friend, the two left as a silence hung over Dr. Randoll and I.

"So you…you don't have a family?" he eventually asked me, looking somewhat like a hurt puppy. I nodded, thinking. She's not here…if Mommy's even alive still… After that…

A little more silence.

"Would you happen to know the law, Ms….?" Oh. My name. What was it again? My last name?

"S-Sydney. Sydney Nichole Night." I told him, and he nodded.

"Ms. Night, are you familiar with the law?" he asked again. I shook my head no, so he continued.

"Well, Ms. Night…because children like you are so rare in Japan, the ones who find you usually adopt you. If they want to, of course. I'll have you know that our system is wonderful…" he trailed off, seeing the scared look I portrayed accidently. Systems, houses…all I've heard about them are downright terrible things... Not only had my Mother told me about them, but I heard the other things that the kids said as well. I was almost put in one once - the thought have me shivers.

"O-Oh, don't worry!" Dr. Randoll immediately rushed to my side as the door opened. I stuttered, fear invading me like I truly was this young again. "I'm sure you'll be better off in a home with other kids your age-" he tried to plead me. I shook my head 'no' as I started to shake worse. My fear was getting the best of me - being in a completely new place and being placed in this situation was ice cold horror for someone like me.

"I don't want to go into one of those scary places!" I begged him, shivering again as I remembered DHS 'visiting' our home. I can't get stuck in this situation! I realized, my mind now racing for a way out.

My tremors increased; tears cascaded down my cheeks. My wide, but yet dull eyes stared forward in horror. I can't... I can't... I can't! Voice hitching, I clamped my hands over my mouth as I attempted to stifle my crying.

By now the doctor had me wrapped up in his arms and was cooing to me, trying to calm me down. In all honesty, I was scared. Thoughts continued to barrage themselves at me, all of them only reinforcing the disparity of the situation. That I'm all alone in a new world I don't know, despite what I might think. My tears grew bigger and more genuine as my mind continued to race. I'm in another dimension, no one cares about me, and I have absolutely no chance! I thought, continuing to shake.

That's my only way out, isn't it? I realized, my dull brown eyes widening slightly as a wind storm of emotions picked up in them.

To become adopted by Isshin Kurosaki - that's my only chance. It was a plausible assumption; I knew for certainty that it would give me a chance. And I...want to become a Soul Reaper. The thought held weight to it, and I tossed it aside. It would only be a distraction to the mission I had assigned myself. Still my whimpering had not stopped completely, and I was still slightly shaking. But with this hope, the tears sliding down my face had stopped. I have to get him to adopt me. I told myself, determination suddenly flaring up inside of me - I refused to be cast out onto the sidelines and die.

"I know…I know…" Dr. Randoll repeated over and over to me, not realizing the sudden change in my behavior, before we both heard and awkward cough. "O-Oh. Forgive me." He apologized, releasing me and smoothing out his clothing as he stood straight. Addressing Isshin with a slight nod, he then left the room... Much to my despair for not only him having comforted me, but the hunch that he cared about what happened to me... Even if he was a pervert.

My more manipulative side instantly knew its chance had come and would rush by in a second if we didn't pounce. I knew it was time to strike - the thought of my life on the line had re-sparked my need to live. Hoping that things wouldn't turn ugly for some odd reason, I readied myself and prepared to twist and bend over backwards to survive. That's how Mommy had inadvertently taught me, after all.

Mr. Kurosaki watched him go before looking at my face, which I was now wiping with all of my strength. I looked at him when I was done and he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck with a pained expression. I noticed that he had on casual wear, even something someone might wear to bed.

This guy…really wasn't ready for his wife's death, was he? He noticed the chair next to my bed and pulled it out, sitting in it with defeated posture. He was looking out the window at the night sky across from me; I could see that he wanted to talk... He just didn't know how to start. Perhaps we should start with you adopting me? It was a grim and selfish thought, but I knew it had to be done.

"I-I…" I trailed off and he looked at me curiously. Well, it was a start wasn't it? "I am sorry that you had to see me in that state. I will make sure it never happens again." I told him professionally, yet grimly. Such a state in front of an adult is unacceptable - doing such would reward you with a punishment. He looked at me for a second, as if measuring me and my words. He eventually sighed, not giving a response before he stared out the window.

"You're very smart for your age…" He spoke aloud, but I had the feeling he was thinking it as well. So little kid act was a fail, huh? I deduced grimly. "How old are you?" he asked me and I swallowed, trying to remember.

"U-Um… Nine…" I mumbled, barely able to remember what age I looked. It's probably best I start thinking of it as what age I am… That way it'll be automatic and I won't slip up in casual conversations, I thought to myself.

He stared at me for a few seconds, curiosity in his gaze among other things. The death of his wife was still fresh. "It sounds like you had such a rough time growing up…" he noted and I looked away, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Mommy raised me the best she could!" I countered him, still staring at the clean sheet covering me, and his eyes widened.

"I bet she did." He agreed, looking away as emotions I could not name passed over his eyes. "I heard that you were an orphan. "How did she die…?" he asked quietly and I froze, unable to come up with a suitable answer immediately.

"She…She was hit by a train…" I made up immediately and felt relief wash over me as he nodded, accepting the lie.

"You must've had to learn fast…" he mumbled, and I instantly knew what all of these questions were about. He's trying to figure out why I'm so smart! I realized. This isn't good…

A pause filled the room before he asked a question that I didn't even have to lie to answer. "What about your father?"

"I never met him." I confessed. "Mommy said he was a terrible man... But that was it." My voice was hushed; I was never allowed to talk about him back home. But is that going to do it...? I asked myself mentally, straining to comprehend what was going on inside of the man's mind. I don't know...

He fell silent after this, and for that I was thankful for a time. No more questions means no more lies… That's good. The more I lie…the more trouble I'll be in if I'm caught. I thought grimly, watching him carefully as he stared out the window. Still, I eventually got anxious. Too much time had passed without words; I needed to reach my goal with certainty.

"Do I…have permission to speak…?" I asked quietly, like how Mommy had trained me. The atmosphere in the room was stifling me at this point. Mr. Kurosaki looked at me incredulously for a second before it faded to show a pained shock from his eyes.

"Please don't ask for 'permission to speak' or anything. I'm not fond of that way of life." He told me, and I felt the sickening grip of horror as I felt him slowly understanding how I had been raised. But I still nodded, watching him with eyes that told him I was trying to grasp the idea of not living like I once had.

"I am…very sorry for your loss, Mister…?" I discretely asked for his name, leaving the puddle of how I'm going to live with them behind for now. I need him to tell me his name as soon as possible so I don't accidently let it slip, I reasoned out mentally.

"Kurosaki." The word came out as if his throat was a little tight.

"Forgive me, Mr. Kurosaki… I have done something terrible and I can't even remember it. I took you're wife from you…forgive me…" I begged him, looking out the window so that I didn't have to face him. My gut twisted as I said this and even though I knew I wasn't responsible, I still felt sickeningly bad. Eventually my pride won over though, and I looked at him to see him staring at me. He was leaning forward intently, but eventually relaxed into the back of his chair. Please forgive me…I know that you didn't blame Ichigo, but…please do not blame me…! Please!

"There's nothing to forgive." He told me. I sucked in a silent, quick breath. "You shouldn't charge a person for a crime that they haven't committed." He informed me. I nodded, a slight smile gracing my lips. It seems we have similar virtues - that is good at the very least.

"I agree with that statement, no matter how much I feel terrible about not being punished." Silence ensued this, and I began to think I had made a wrong move towards the end of it.

Mr. Kurosaki stood up suddenly, and my head snapped to him to see him looking down at me. "You know kid…I get the feeling that Masaki protected you for a reason. Also…" he started a bit awkwardly and looked away. I patiently waited. "I know you never had a father, so..." He trailed off and I felt my mental desperation to live deflate; I knew I had won this battle. "I want to adopt you." He looked me full on when he said this, much to my amazement. In awe, I nodded.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Kurosaki, sir… Thank you so much…" I mumbled, going a bit queasy with everything going on inside me. I was happy, relieved, and shocked all at the same time. Mr. Kurosaki nodded, looking like he wanted to say something, but stopped. He tipped his head and started to walk out. "I'll be back in a while." He told me before leaving. I nodded once the door was closed.

"I feel like I'm on a roller coaster…" I mumbled as I lied down and thought about everything. I sighed mentally before closing my eyes to focus better. I seem to have replaced Ichigo Kurosaki... I've been transported to the beginning of his recorded life...I've been adopted by Mr. Kurosaki, and I have an over-attached, perverted doctor...aka Dr. Randoll.

"I feel so much more organized now… It always surprises me how I can act like this when this kind of stuff happens." I laughed lightly in my subpar relaxed state as I looked out the window. Then again… Maybe the shock hasn't set in yet… I thought warily, my eyes sliding shut on their own accord as I settled back onto my bed.

...

I heard quiet talking which raised me from my awkward slumber. Doing my best not to sigh, I pretended to sleep just for the curiosity of things. Who knows, maybe I fell asleep in the kitchen again and Mommy couldn't find her alcohol…I desperately hope we're not out.

"S-S-She's replacing brother?!" I heard a panicked young girl's voice. Sounds like…Yuzu's...from Bleach… I heard stifled choked sobs. That's right! I'm in the Bleach universe! I realized again, this time a traitorous smile not inching onto my face. It seems that the shock was starting to set it.

"No no no!" Mr. Kurosaki was comforting her. "Daddy just can't leave a little girl like her keep living the way she is." He told her gently.

"So you...adopted her?" that sounded like Karin.

"Yes." Was Mr. Kurosaki's reply. There was a small silence before I heard sobs come from Karin as well. They were both muffled, and I assumed that Mr. Kurosaki was holding them.

"I-I want to go home!" I heard Yuzu cry out before hiccupping out more sobs. Mr. Kurosaki cooed slightly before responding.

"We will as soon as she wakes up, darling…" he murmured.

Taking my cue, I opened my eyes to see Mr. Kurosaki kneeling on the floor with his two little girls hugging him tightly and crying. They look so young… I observed. Noticing Mr. Kurosaki watching me, he nodded and I returned it. "See?" he told the kids. "She just woke up. And as soon as she's ready, we'll take her home and give her a nice bath. Is that okay, girls?" he asked them gently. They stared at me briefly before looking up at their father and nodding, both of them letting go of him and rubbing tears out of their eyes.

I looked over, making sure my clothes were still next to my bed. Motioning my head to the clothes and knowing the fact I was wearing a hospital gown (which are very revealing in the back), Mr. Kurosaki immediately understood, standing up. "Now let's give her time to change and we'll be on our way home." He said, ushering them out. Thankfully they complied and quickly left.

Sighing and pausing for a few seconds, I stretched before slowly sitting up and putting my feet on the floor. They were sensitive; is this a brand new body? Looking behind me, I admired the darkening sky the hung over Karakura, a low black cloud slicing across the stars. How ominous... Setting the grim thought aside, I quickly located a hair brush in the bathroom that had been attached to my room. Taking a few minutes to get ready, I stopped to admire myself in the mirror before I faced the world. I was skinny, frail almost. Smiling lightly as I recounted Mr. Kurosaki adopting me and the feeling of relief that it still brought, I stepped out of the bathroom and flicked off the light. I'm ready... I thought, my mental voice sounding brave. To take my chance now.

Stepping outside my now empty room, I found myself standing unsurely across from the Kurosaki family in the hallway. I don't know quite how to deal with this... I frowned, trying to understand my reluctance to get closer to them. Mr. Kurosaki suddenly nodded towards me, and I returned it. The twins followed after him immediately as he started to leave, and I barely hesitated before following. Taking a quick glance around before we left the building, I realized that I hadn't seen my doctor. Sighing quietly, I wished I could've given him at least a good-bye… Even if he was a pervert. Glancing down at the strange, yet nice looking black shoes on my feet, I started to once again mull over how I could've gotten them - they were too expensive for me to even lay my eyes on.

The ride home was completely silent, each person to their own thoughts. The girls would openly stare at me sometimes before turning to the window, grief reflected in their eyes. Mr. Kurosaki appeared to be focusing on the road, but I knew that his gears were turning more, if not more violently, than the rest of ours. I sat in the front seat next to him, with the twins in the back. Contenting myself with watching the road as well, I started trying to memorize Karakura Town...as a distraction. I don't wanna think about leaving Mommy behind…I don't want to…cry…

The years flew by. Approximately six years, to be exact. I wasn't enrolled in Ichigo's dojo, but I did my best to be a good fighter. Often I would ask Mr. Kurosaki for tips, and I even taught the twins how to make fists. Which I was very bad at in the beginning, embarrassingly enough.

They enrolled me in school in the first year. I got to know a ton of people like my four closest friends Brianna, Damien, Sloth and Seeker... Who may have been my closest friends in my entire life. But I also got to know all of Ichigo's friends (as I had become obsessed in falling in his footsteps for safety, at the very least) - a friendly relationship with Orihime, a strong and trusting companionship with Chad (who I had luckily remembered to save under the bridge) and even a somewhat understanding friendship with Ishida, surprisingly enough. We had an odd relationship... It was school-only (even though I had invited him over plenty of times and asked to go out with him to a few fun places) but it was friendly, at least on my part. He had more of a cool, slightly unemotional attitude towards me, but it was slowly thawing. I guess getting to know people and being nice to them is something good to do, eh?

But I was also developing something strange. I know that Karin had spiritual powers and that Mr. Kurosaki used to be a Soul Reaper (at least by this point) but… I was starting to see them. The ghosts, spirits, whatever you call them. In a matter of a day of being released by the hospital… I could see them clearly as if they were real people. I conversed with them occasionally, but for the most part ignored them. But my power kept growing… I could both sense and feel it. So I started practicing on not only hiding it, but controlling it to get even stronger. The earlier I get ahead…the easier everything will be.

In the second year, the massacre started. It started with a news report about the sharp increase of homeless people that started two years ago. It pointed out that even though a large number of people (over 700,000,000) had appeared out of nowhere, even more people of staggering numbers were appearing... The Government had seen this immediately, but tried to cover it up. Apparently information was just leaked about it. But the government had collected people and done tests on them (I had a sick feeling they weren't humane, as they realized these people quite literally appeared out of thin air) and deduced that we weren't human… At least not entirely. It appears that when something triggers it, we 'evolve'. Anything could happen. There have been instances of two faces, eight arms, four wings, tails, new eyes, super hearing, breathing underwater…quite literally anything. And each new ability seems to frighten the government more and more, as everyone who evolved seemed to have one intent on their minds. To kill. The government was starting to track us down and watch us carefully. They call it 'good intent for everyone's safety', but I knew somehow that it was quite the opposite. They call us Evolueren... Mr. Kurosaki said it's Dutch for 'evolve'.

After that report (as I had watched it with the family) I suspected that Mr. Kurosaki thought I was one of them. I could almost feel his watchful eyes burning into me, looking for a trace of this deadly evolution… Hell what am I joking about? He knew I was one of them… He's seen my intelligence… Something that is nearly impossible for a nine (or now ten) year old to have. My friends, Brianna, Damien, Seeker and Sloth, also had me under scrutiny... But they were also all under my watchful gaze, because of the Pact we had made. Reports were coming in in the hundreds seemingly now. They were all about Evolueren evolving randomly and killing lots of people - The evolution always seemed to happen in a flash of light that formed the new body extensions.

Slowly details emerged. It seems that we evolve when we're under high stress, in dangerous situations, when we're very sad, or we force it to happen. Each time someone would evolve in public…they were killed on sight. This is what scared me the most... That I would accidently evolve someday in public…and I would be killed immediately, my soul sent off to God knows where (as I'm not sure if I'm really attached to this dimension yet—Soul Society may not be an option for Evolueren). So I just did whatever I could to be a relaxed person that never got into anything too dangerous, and I never ever tried to force it to happen. Even thinking of doing that terrified me.

A few months after the rate of evolution had increased dramatically, the government called for a gigantic round up. They said that citizens who turned us in would be rewarded. That everyone would be safe then. I'm not sure if I was imagining it, but I could almost feel the internal battle of Mr. Kurosaki. I had the feeling that he wanted to turn me in for safety, but wanted to keep me because Masaki protected me. This war seemed to increase as the reports about dangerous Evolueren started flying in even more. Every time you would turn on the television, there would be something about eight of us evolving and getting shot, one of us killing innocent people…it terrified me. I'm one of them…and yet, here I am, in a human home. Acting human. Pretending to behuman. The cold, icy talons of fear pierced my body and lodged themselves deeply within my heart.

Slowly by the fifth year, it seemed as if these reports were slowly stopping. I could feel that Mr. Kurosaki was calming down over my presence as well. My friends seemed to be slowly relaxing, and slowly the Pact and I were becoming less terrified and more hopeful we weren't Evolueren...somehow. By the time the first report hit, I had been completely terrified of all of this. My life was in constant peril - even when I was just with the Kurosakis. I know Mr. Kurosaki is a good person and everything, but I just didn't know him. And he didn't know me. But we slowly both calmed down as the number of reports diminished by decimals. Slowly but surely, a constant rate of at least 26 reports flying in in a month was established. This was a good reminder for me… So I wouldn't forget what I was. So slowly I lowered my guard…but it was still there. The Pact was still there... They probably always will be. Realizing yet again that no one else but the Pact could know that I was from another dimension on pain of death, I swore to myself that I wouldn't be killed over this…and I intend to keep that promise. As a new kind of resolve set in, I started to develop a side of me I had tried to keep hidden. My dark side, as I might call it from now on. Before there was only one thing in it… My terrible anger. It's happened three times in my entire life now (and never here, may I add proudly) and each time has been worse than the last... Soon I'll just be killing people when I get angry. I know I need to get a hold of it, but…at least now it has a friend to hang out with. My Evolueren side.

All through these years, I kept as close to my memory as I could, holding it tightly within both my heart's and my mind's grasp. Every day I would run through points in the Bleach anime until I had them at my very slight command. Surprising myself, I also remembered some of the smaller points, like when Chad was saved by Ichigo under the bridge. That was the first event I filled out, much to my joy and happiness.

And all through the years… No one ever realized I was adopted, save the Pact. Everyone else thought I was Kurosaki blood, even though the way I acted was practically the opposite of all of them. Mr. Kurosaki had changed my name, after all. Tatsuki had asked me about it once (she's a clever one, and a very good fighting opponent. Even if I'm stronger, for some odd reason) and I had simply said 'I don't like talking about it' and she had left it at that...thankfully. Even inside of the Kurosaki house, my adoption was seldom talked about. I found it slightly odd sometimes, but I never prodded because of its circumstances.

My life was like a dream. Everyone around me seemed happy to see me (even if Ishida's was a more professional, slightly there happy). The twins adored me like I was their blood and Mr. Kurosaki cared for me gently, without the rude fights he would get in with Ichigo. I would challenge him to fights often though, so that kept up the liveliness around the house. This life was more than I could've ever asked for... And certainly better than the 'life' I had been living before… I realize that now. I even began to feel like I didn't even need to become a Soul Reaper to be happy... Like everything would be okay if I wasn't some sort of supernatural being, sent by accident to save the world… It was heaven.

A few months after that…it happened.

Rukia arrived.