By the way I don't own anything of bleach just the OC's that's it!

The academy was quiet with an air of unadulterated excitement. Today was graduation, the beginning of their lives and what most were waiting for their whole lives. The students were lined up watching in silent admiration as the leading captains of the squads they hoped to join paraded through the room. It was almost in conceivable that anyone would want to miss the meeting of the people they would most likely serve for many years to come; but there was always one.

"Key….. We're missing the ceremony"

Hikari stood leaning against the entrance of a small crook in the wall as she stared at the young girl curled up in a corner on the floor her hands covering her head in fear as she shook it fervently.

"No way! There are humans out there! You know I hate humans!"

Hikari the young girl's friend stood straight sighing placing a hand on her hip as she looked over the cowering girl.

"They're not humans Key, they're shinigami. That means they're dead and therefore you shouldn't be afraid"

The girl still huddled closer into the corner trembling as she tried to somehow disappear,

"no way no way no way! I do not wish to go out there!"

Hikari sighed,

"We finally managed to graduate and wear our shinigami robes"

She said looking at her black outfit in awe,

"I mean you even modified yours"

The trembling girl stopped shaking and looked down at her outfit, it was indeed modified. She had always admired Lieutenant Nemu of the 12th division and took after her style. Her outfit was almost the same except instead of a skirt she had shorts with white thigh highs and she wore a cropped white jacket with long sleeves. She had taken pride in the fact that she could finally get out of the uniform red and white outfit they had had to wear the whole time she was in the academy.

"I mean, what was the point of graduating if you can't even get into a squad? you have to interact with people"

Just the mention of interacting sent the fearful girl into another fit of shivers and she shook her head fiercely as if trying to get rid of the thought.

The hall slowly began to fill with noise as Hikari looked around to see that the students were now allowed to meet certain captains as well as vice versa, Hikari sighed her short blonde hair shifting a little out of place as she looked back at her friend.

"Look if you really don't have the confidence to be around people that much why not join my uncle's squad?"

Hikari eyed the 13th captain as he seemed to look around most likely searching for her, his niece. Key looked up and also noticed the tall white haired man looking around, she had meet him on occasion when she had visited Hikari's home. She had taken note that he was sickly yet he still managed to be optimistic and kind, despite her obvious fear he had been gentle with her and not been offended talking to her patiently. Key sighed.

"He's not bad but…."

Hikari looked at the girl startled as a cloud of gloom hovered over her,

"But what if while everyone's busy, I go to deliver so paperwork to him. He sees me and sees his chance and grabbing my chin he pulls me into his embrace thinking of all the dirty-"

The girl was kicked hard enough for her face to smash right into the wall and cause it to crack.

"THIS IS WHY YOU'RE AFRAID OF PEOPLE 'CAUSE YOU'RE A PERVERT! THERE'S NO WAY HE'D DO THAT!"

She yelled her face red with embarrassment as Key rubbed her reddening forehead and mumbled,

"There's always a possibility"

Hikari kicked her again yelling profane things in anger that her friend would put her kind uncle in such a position. She was so furious that she hadn't noticed that she had grabbed the attention of two other graduates that had also been looking for them. So she was quite surprised when they stopped at her side smiling deviously.

"well well well, figures you'd be cowering somewhere huh?"

Hikari looked at the two girls with a scowl, Lina the leader with short bouncy red hair and her counterpart Risa who had dark brown hair pulled up into two buns had an unhealthy obsession with trying to bully the fearful girl. Now that they were finally graduating she thought that they'd have a moment of peace, apparently not.

"Leave us alone Lina"

Hikari said coldly and Key drew more into herself worry constant on her forehead. Lina laughed as Risa giggled along,

"It's a wonder that the girl even graduated considered she barely showed to any of the sparing classes"

"I didn't want to touch people"

Key mumbled trembling. Hikari stepped up in defense,

"Are you still mad she got a higher grade than you in kido?"

Hikari smiled at the wrinkles that appeared on Lina's self-proclaimed perfect face.

"You know I'm just about as sick of your mouth as I am of her face"

She growled grabbing Hikari's Shirt and pulling her close, Hikari put a hand on her sword,

"Ya well I'm just sick a' ya"

She spat back, reistu flared Risa standing behind hand also on her sword in case as Key trembled fearfully as she looked at the two girls behind her long black bangs.

"Hold it!"

Someone yelled the girls turned to look as captain Ukitake approached worry on his face.

"What is going on?"

Lina scoffed as she tossed Hikari away who stumbled back, hand still close to her sword,

"Sorry Captain"

Lina smiled coyly,

"I just thought since it was graduation I might settle some old scores that's all"

Ukitake frowned as he looked at the manipulative girl and her friend and then turned to his niece who refused to look at him,

"Well I'd appreciate that if you have something to settle you use words only, violence is not the answer."

Lina shrugged, she realized that if she got into a fight here her placement might be in question, she looked around and saw that the hall had gotten quiet as everyone had turned their attention on them. After the fighting exams had been cut graduations had been dull so everyone slightly hoped that something would happen and Lina saw that, looking down at the cowering girl that never failed to get under her skin she smiled. Perhaps there was a way to settle this.

"I'm sorry captain I am just disappointed in the graduation of one of our candidates and don't think it is fair that she graduates."

Ukitake jumped as Lina spoke loudly for everyone to hear, Even Hikari was shocked but her surprise quickly turned to distain as she realized where this was headed.

"What do you mean?"

Hikari practically face palmed as her uncle walked straight into Lina's trap.

"This girl!"

Lina shouted as she pointed to Key who jumped at the attention,

"Is incapable of being around other, plus she refuses to fight and has skipped multiple lessons in sparring!"

Key's mouth dropped as did Ukitake's considering he hadn't noticed the child there at all. He had met her a couple of times and saw the fear she held and wondered as well if she could become a shinigami as well as wondered why, but his niece had simply stated that the girl was made for a shinigami lifestyle and that she had simple not burst out of her shell. Now though this girl had called her out on it, what was he supposed to do to solve this?!

"Well then I suppose there really ain't anyway to fix this then with a fight"

Ukitake's head almost fell off as he turned to see 11th captain Zaraki Kenpachi smiling. Lina smiled back,

"That's what I was thinking as well."