A/N: Hello guys, this is my first Bleach fan fiction. This story has multiple pairing, but mostly Ichigo x Rukia and Byakuya x OC. I tried my best not to make them OOC. Please bear with me… Happy Reading.

PS: Thanks to Moonstone6793 for being an awesome beta-reader. ^_^

If you guys find this story is such an easy and nice in grammatical, thanked her…

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach (isn't it obvious? lol)

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'The sole advantage of power is that you can do more good'

-Baltasar Gracian-

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Chapter 1

Mysterious Lady

"That idiot. Where did he go?" cursed Rukia under her breath while trying to walk along the pathway.

Apparently, Ichigo and Rukia were fighting a big, ugly, hard-skinned hollow near Karakura Park. While they were fighting it, another hollow came. So, Rukia commanded Ichigo to lure the other hollow to other spot, while she finished the first one. He argued at first, not wanting to leave Rukia alone, until she smacked his head with the hilt of her zanpakutou. Then, Rukia finished off the hollow already, not as gracefully as always, but… it was still quite impressive. Considering that she finished off three hollows in a row.

"That moron. He really should learn how to suppress his reiatsu otherwise we'll need back up every time we fight a hollow." muttered Rukia. She believed that the numerous amounts of hollows were attracted to Ichigo's reiatsu, which leaked everywhere considering the owner had no idea, and made no effort, of suppressing his reiatsu.

Rukia decided to save her rants for that carrot top. Because now, beat up and tired, she tried to reach Inoue's apartment, hoping that she could heal her then help her find Ichigo.

Even though the winter war was already over, the effects still influenced both worlds. For example, the number of hollow had increased dramatically ('It's also because of that strawberry moron' thought Rukia), and not to mention their strength. They were not adjucas or arrancar, but they seemed pretty tough to be considered simple low-life hollows.

The sound of footsteps abruptly pulled her from her thoughts. Rukia tried to steady herself beside a lamppost, raising her zanpakutou, ready to defend herself in case another threat came. She waited… and almost sighed in relief when, instead of a hollow, a woman walked toward her direction.

'She will not be able to see me, at least' Rukia thought. How wrong she was.

"Are you okay?" she heard the strange woman ask her.

Surprised, yet suspicious Rukia eyed the woman. She couldn't feel any reiatsu coming from her. Yet, she could see her in her shinigami form.

"Hello, ojou-chan? Are you alright?" she asked her again. This time, worry clearly noticeable in her light feminine voice.

Rukia cleared her throat. "Uhm… can you…" she bit her lip in time. She was about to ask "can you see me?" but then felt that it was an awkward question.

"Well of course. That's why I came here." The woman answered Rukia's unfinished question.

"Oh." Rukia muttered. 'Can she read her mind too? Who is she?'

"My name is Kirika. Satohara Kirika." She extended her hand. Smiling at the stunned Rukia.

In normal circumstances, Rukia would choose to ignore her and run, but now…"Rukia. Kuchiki Rukia." She answered while shaking her hand, surprising herself.

"Then, Rukia-chan, let's go. My house is near here. Can you walk?"

Rukia didn't move. She kept staring at the woman… Satohara-san. Still wondering, who she was.

She seemed to be able to read the Rukia's thoughtful expression because she spoke again, "Rukia-chan, I can't help you here. Let's go to my house, then I can clean your wounds. After that, you can ask me any questions you have in mind. That or finding your friend first. It's all up to you. Trust me, I'm harmless."

'Damn, she can read my mind.' Thought Rukia. She looked up in an instant, looking at the woman. Wondering if she heard her last thought.

If she heard that, she didn't show any sign. She offered her hand to help Rukia. And a strange feeling inside her said that she could trust this woman.

They walked for five minutes and arrived in a small two-storey house with large front garden, full of plants. She unlocked her door and motioned Rukia to follow her inside. Rukia walked to the living room and almost sat in the comfy-looking couch before she heard Satohara's voice from another room.

"I think you should lie in the bedroom. I have to boil some water first. The bedroom is the one near the stairs. Just make yourself comfortable, ok?"

'Her, and her mind-reading.' thought Rukia bitterly. The more she proved that she was no ordinary woman, the more Rukia felt curious. Nevertheless, she didn't sense any threat from this strange woman.

'Because you know she's harmless' said Sode No Shirayuki.

'Maybe. But I can't feel any reiatsu from her.' Rukia replied as she lay down on the only bed there.

'Just relax. I will protect you.' Said Shirayuki again.

'Thanks.'

Then, with one last glance at a photograph on the bedside table, Rukia drifted to a pleasant sleep.

***

Kirika waited for the water to boil. She didn't know why she now decided to interfere with this situation. She normally acted like nothing happened and tried to occupy her mind with other things. But tonight was different. This summer night was not the same night as usual. Deep inside her soul, she knew that something's evil was on its way. And she knew, somehow, that she should be involved, no… most likely that it had something to with her being. She huffed. 'Maybe it's because of 'that'. Maybe… I just don't want others to be hurt because of me.'

The whistle from the kettle startled her. She sighed and prepared everything she needed for Rukia. 'The girl sure is curious.' She mused to herself.

She brought the tray to her bedroom. Careful not to spill the water inside the basin and the glass, She walked to the bed and saw Rukia already asleep. The dim light from the room was enough to help Kirika located the wound, besides she didn't want to wake the girl.

Carefully, she began to clean and wrap her wounds. She muttered few words while she worked and soft white light emerged from her palm. Enough to stop the bleeding and prevent the infection, but not too much so it can draw suspicion.

While doing so, she felt something strange from the shinigami. Something inside her. 'A seal?' she thought, 'what was sealed inside her tiny body?' she couldn't stop herself from thinking. She shook her head, trying to brush her thoughts away. 'Now is not the right moment to think about that.'

She changed Rukia's shikakusho with her PJs without waking her. She put a glass of water on the bedside table, along with a cup of steaming tea. She tip toed to the door, closing it behind her and walked to the laundry room near the kitchen.

She took an extra blanket from the cupboard near the television set and lay herself down in her couch. 10 minutes later, she's asleep, but not before muttering some incantations which made the house glow for a while.

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A/N: So…. What do you think? Do you have any idea who she was??? Do you think Rukia is OOC? Any suggestions? Any questions? Critiques maybe? Tell me about it… ^_^